title: Tryptase- and leptin-positive mast cells correlate with vascular density in uterine leiomyomas.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Anatomy and Histology, University of Bari Medical School, Bari, Italy. ribatti@anatomia.uniba.it
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ribatti
authors.forename: Anna S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Belloni
authors.forename: Beatrice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nico
authors.forename: Giorgia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Salà
authors.forename: Vito
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Longo
authors.forename: Domenica
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mangieri
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Crivellato
authors.forename: Gastone G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Nussdorfer
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D020738:Leptin; D053802:Tryptases