Alpha-smooth muscle actin is expressed in a subset of bone marrow stromal cells in normal and pathological conditions.
A series of 217 trephine bone marrow biopsies from adult patients and specimens from 16 fetuses and 5 infants were examined for the presence of stromal myoid cells (MCs) using a monoclonal antibody recognizing alpha-smooth muscle actin. In the normal adult bone marrow, stromal cells did not contain alpha-smooth muscle actin, whereas during fetal life, many alpha-smooth muscle actin-containing MCs were connected with vascular sinusoids in the primitive bone marrow. This cell type reappeared in various characteristic distribution patterns in adult bone marrow during different neoplastic and non-neoplastic conditions including metastatic carcinoma, Hodgkin's disease, multiple myeloma, hairy cell leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia (FAB M4, 5, 7) and chronic myelo-proliferative diseases. In general, the appearance of MCs was associated with a slight to pronounced increase in the deposition of reticulin and collagen fibers. We propose that bone marrow MCs represent a distinct subpopulation of fiber-associated or adventitial reticular cells undergoing cytoskeletal remodeling in response to various stimuli.
Schmitt-Gräff
A
A
Department of Pathology, University of Düsseldorf, School of Medicine, Federal Republic of Germany.
Skalli
O
O
Gabbiani
G
G
D000199:Actins / Q000032:analysis*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology*; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007938:Leukemia / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009130:Muscle, Smooth; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D012016:Reference Values
D000199:Actins