title: Identification of kit positive cells in the human urinary tract.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Analogous to interstitial cells of Cajal in the bowel, functional important networks of interstitial cells could have a role in the complex mechanism of central and peripheral control of urinary tract function. Recently various reports mentioned the presence of interstitial cells in different parts of the urinary tract and in different species. Since important differences among species exist, we performed immunohistochemistry on fresh frozen human tissue to study the presence of interstitial cells in the human urinary tract.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 65 tissue pieces from all levels of the urinary tract were obtained from 44 patients treated at our institution. Tissue was processed for immunohistochemistry immediately after removal. We performed immunohistochemistry for kit, connexin 43 and VRL1/TRPV2.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Interstitial cells immunopositive for all 3 antibodies were seen beneath the urothelium and between smooth muscle cells in all tissue pieces with slight topographical differences.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Together with morphological and functional data from other experiments these morphological data suggest that, as in the bowel, networks of interstitial cells might have an important role in the physiology and pathology of the urinary tract. They could be involved in pacemaking or have an integrating role through the modulation of neurotransmission and conduction of electrical impulses. Functional experiments are the next step to study these hypotheses.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Urology and Pathology, University Hospitals KULeuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: van der AA
authors.forename: Tania
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Roskams
authors.forename: Wim
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Blyweert
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ost
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bogaert
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: De Ridder
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000032:analysis*; D014551:Urinary Tract / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000166:cytology*
chemical_list: D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit