[Ultrastructural and immunohistochemical characteristics of pericytes during neovascularization in breast carcinoma].
OBJECTIVE
To study the morphology of pericyte, the relationship between pericytes and neovascularization of breast carcinoma.


METHODS
Ultrastructural, immunohistochemical and quantitative morphology analysis techniques were used to study 89 cases of human breast carcinoma. 4 human granulation tissues cases were used as control.


RESULTS
The positive cells for FVIIIRAg were endothelial cells situated inside the vascular wall with abundant cytoplasm containing caveolae and Weibel-palade bodies. The positive cells for alpha-SMA were pericytes with cytoplasm containing abundant myofilament, and connections with endothelial cells. The pericyte-endothelial junctions can be found. Quantitative morphological analysis showed that the number of pericytes in the low-microvascular density areas are much higher than that in the high- microvascular density areas (P < 0.0005).


CONCLUSIONS
Ultrastructural observation and immunohistochemical staining of alpha-SMA are useful in identifying pericytes. The results of this study imply that pericytes may possibly inhibit angiogenesis.
Wang
Y
Y
Department of Pathology, Normen Bethune University of Medical Science, ChangChun 130021, China. wysh@mail.nbums.cc.jl.cn
Li
Y
Y
Zhu
G
G
Wang
X
X
Wu
S
S
Zhang
L
L
Gao
X
X
D000199:Actins / Q000032:analysis; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000473:pathology*; D020286:Pericytes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D014841:von Willebrand Factor / Q000032:analysis
D000199:Actins; D014841:von Willebrand Factor