title: Mixed chimerism of cardiomyocytes and vessels after allogeneic bone marrow and stem-cell transplantation in comparison with cardiac allografts.
abstract: Controversy persists about mixed chimerism (mCh) occurring in the hearts of patients after orthotopic cardiac transplantation in comparison with allogeneic bone marrow (BM) and peripheral blood stem-cell (PBSC) transplants. Cadaver hearts were examined after sex-mismatched transplantation by immunophenotyping combined with dual color fluorescence in situ hybridization (X and Y chromosome-specific probes). A striking disparity in the extent of mCh depending on the different transplantation procedures was recognizable. After allografting with PBSCs, 1.7% chimeric cardiomyocytes were detectable contrasting 5.4% of donor cells after full BM transplantation. In cardiac transplants, host-type endothelial cells (16.2%) and myocytes (14.3%) of the vessel walls were more often encountered than after BM and PBSC allografting. A sprouting of vascular structures into the donor heart after orthotopic cardiac transplantation has to be assumed, as does a pivotal role of the mesenchymal stem cells of the BM in the development of mCh.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, University of Cologne, Joseph-Stelzmannstrasse 9, D-50924 Cologne, Germany. j.thiele@uni-koeln.de
authors.forename: Juergen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thiele
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Varus
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wickenhauser
authors.forename: Hans Michael
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Kvasnicka
authors.forename: Johann
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lorenzen
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gramley
authors.forename: Klaus Alfred
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Metz
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rivero
authors.forename: Dietrich Wilhelm
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Beelen
mesh_terms: D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*; D041321:Chromosomes, Human, X / Q000235:genetics; D041322:Chromosomes, Human, Y / Q000235:genetics; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000276:immunology / Q000637:transplantation*; D005260:Female; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D032342:Muscle Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000276:immunology*; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D018183:Transplantation Chimera; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous / Q000276:immunology*