title: Endothelial cells but not epithelial cells or cardiomyocytes are partially replaced by donor cells after allogeneic bone marrow and stem cell transplantation.
abstract: Recent studies have convincingly demonstrated that adult bone marrow contains cells capable of differentiating into a variety of cell types. To investigate whether such bone marrow-derived cells participate on self-renewal and proliferation of nonhematopoietic tissues, we studied tissue obtained by autopsy from female recipients after sex-mismatched allogeneic bone marrow and stem cell transplantation for the presence of donor-derived cells. Epithelial, endothelial, and smooth muscle cells and hematopoietic cells were characterized by double-staining immunohistochemistry with a panel of antibodies and nonisotopic in situ hybridization with a Y-chromosome-specific probe. The present study showed that the capillary endothelium was the only nonhematopoietic cell type that was replaced in a significant amount by donor cells after allogeneic stem cell and bone marrow transplantation. We could not demonstrate any participation of graft-derived cells on repopulation of cardiomyocytes or epithelial cells of the skin and gastrointestinal mucosa and of hepatocytes.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, Ludwig-Maximilians University, 80337 Munich, Germany. Iris.Bittmann@lrz.uni-muenchen.de
authors.forename: Iris
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bittmann
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hentrich
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bise
authors.forename: Hans Jochem
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kolb
authors.forename: Udo
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Löhrs
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002455:Cell Division; D041322:Chromosomes, Human, Y / Q000648:ultrastructure; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D005260:Female; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000166:cytology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009132:Muscles / Q000473:pathology; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000166:cytology*; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000166:cytology; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous