Tryptase- and leptin-positive mast cells correlate with vascular density in uterine leiomyomas.
OBJECTIVE
In vitro and in vivo studies have linked mast cell (MC) degranulation and activation with angiogenesis and neovascularization. This assumption is partially supported by the close anatomical association between MC and the vasculature and the recruitment of these cells during tumor growth. The aim of this study was to correlate the extent of angiogenesis with the number of MC expressing tryptase and leptin in human leiomyomas.


METHODS
Tissues from human leiomyomas and control specimens were investigated immunohistochemically, using murine monoclonal antibodies against the endothelial cell marker CD31, leptin, and the MC marker tryptase.


RESULTS
Angiogenesis, measured as microvessel counts, was highly correlated with MC tryptase- and leptin-positive cell counts.


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that angiogenesis in leiomyomas is correlated to expression of tryptase in MC granules and provide for the first time evidence of a putative role of leptin, also contained in MC secretory granules, in MC-dependent angiogenesis.
Ribatti
Domenico
D
Department of Human Anatomy and Histology, University of Bari Medical School, Bari, Italy. ribatti@anatomia.uniba.it
Belloni
Anna S
AS
Nico
Beatrice
B
Salà
Giorgia
G
Longo
Vito
V
Mangieri
Domenica
D
Crivellato
Enrico
E
Nussdorfer
Gastone G
GG
D002452:Cell Count; D015550:Cell Degranulation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007889:Leiomyoma / Q000503:physiopathology*; D020738:Leptin / Q000378:metabolism*; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000503:physiopathology*; D053802:Tryptases / Q000378:metabolism*; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology*
D020738:Leptin; D053802:Tryptases