title: Myofibroblasts generated in culture from sclerotic skin lesions of a patient with extensive chronic graft-versus-host disease after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation are of recipient origin.
abstract: Abstract The origin (recipient/donor) of the myofibroblasts mediating fibrosis in sclerodermatous chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGvHD) was investigated. Sclerodermatous specimens obtained from a patient with extensive cGvHD after an HLA-identical sibling bone marrow transplantation were cultured in order to derive tissue myofibroblasts. All proliferating a-SMA+ fibroblastoid cells revealed recipient origin as examined by variable number tandem repeat (VNTR)-PCR. This case report shows that fibrosis in sclerodermatous lesions results from the activation and proliferation of locally-derived recipient fibroblasts rather than from donor-derived fibroblasts or circulating fibrocytes.
authors.forename: Evgenios
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Goussetis
authors.forename: Antonia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spiropoulos
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Theodosaki
authors.forename: Kalliopi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stefanaki
authors.forename: Eftichia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Petrakou
authors.forename: Stelios
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Graphakos
mesh_terms: D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D058628:Myofibroblasts / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology*; D012598:Sclerosis; D035781:Siblings; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D014019:Tissue Donors; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous