title: Liver-specific gene expression in cultured human hematopoietic stem cells.
abstract: Hematopoietic and hepatic stem cells share characteristic markers such as CD34, c-kit, and Thy1. Based on the recent observations that hepatocytes may originate from bone marrow, we investigated the potential of CD34(+) bone marrow cells to differentiate into hepatocytic cells in vitro. CD34(+) and CD34(-) human bone marrow cells were separated by magnetic cell sorting. Cells were cultured on a collagen matrix in a defined medium containing hepatocyte growth factor. Cell count and size were measured by flow cytometry, and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was carried out for the liver-specific markers CK-19 and albumin. During cell culture, CD34(+) cells showed an increasing cell number and proliferative activity as assessed by Ki-67 staining. Under the specified culture conditions, CD34(+) cells expressed albumin RNA and CK-19 RNA after 28 days, whereas CD34(-) cells did not show liver-specific gene expression. The results indicate that CD34(+) adult human bone marrow stem cells can differentiate into hepatocytic cells in vitro.
authors.affiliation: Bone Marrow Transplantation Center, Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany. fiegel@uke.uni-hamburg.de
authors.forename: Henning C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Fiegel
authors.forename: Michael V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Lioznov
authors.forename: Lourdes
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cortes-Dericks
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lange
authors.forename: Dietrich
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kluth
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fehse
authors.forename: Axel R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Zander
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000418:Albumins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018952:Antigens, CD34 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D001853:Bone Marrow; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D002452:Cell Count; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000235:genetics*; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D018189:Immunomagnetic Separation; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009928:Organ Specificity / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
chemical_list: D000418:Albumins; D018952:Antigens, CD34; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D012333:RNA, Messenger