title: Cajal-type cells from human mammary gland stroma: phenotype characteristics in cell culture.
abstract: We report here the in vitro isolation of Cajal-like interstitial cells from human inactive mammary-gland stroma. Primary cell cultures examined in phase-contrast microscopy or after vital methylene-blue staining revealed a cell population with characteristic morphological phenotype: fusiform, triangular or polygonal cell body and the corresponding (very) long, slender, moniliform cytoplasmic processes. Giemsa staining pointed out the typical knobbed aspect of cell prolongations. Immunofluorescence (IF) showed, like in situ immunohistochemistry, that Cajal-type cells in vitro (primary cultures), expressed c-kit/CD117 and vimentin. In conclusion, the images presented here reinforce our previous hypothesis that human mammary glands have a distinct population of Cajal-like cells in non-epithelial tissue compartments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Radu
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Regalia
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ceafalan
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Andrei
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cretoiu
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Popescu
mesh_terms: D001940:Breast / Q000166:cytology*; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D008858:Microscopy, Phase-Contrast; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000166:cytology*