title: Telocytes in human heart valves.
abstract: Valve interstitial cells (VICs) are responsible for maintaining the structural integrity and dynamic behaviour of the valve. Telocytes (TCs), a peculiar type of interstitial cells, have been recently identified by Popescu's group in epicardium, myocardium and endocardium (visit www.telocytes.com). The presence of TCs has been identified in atria, ventricles and many other tissues and organ, but not yet in heart valves. We used transmission electron microscopy and immunofluorescence methods (double labelling for CD34 and c-kit, or vimentin, or PDGF Receptor-β) to provide evidence for the existence of TCs in human heart valves, including mitral valve, tricuspid valve and aortic valve. TCs are found in both apex and base of heart valves, with a similar density of 27-28 cells/mm(2) in mitral valve, tricuspid valve and aortic valve. Since TCs are known for the participation in regeneration or repair biological processes, it remains to be determined how TCs contributes to the valve attempts to re-establish normal structure and function following injury, especially a complex junction was found between TCs and a putative stem (progenitor) cell.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Sean M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Junjie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Xiangqing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Kong
mesh_terms: D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006351:Heart Valves / Q000166:cytology*; D006801:Humans; D056885:Interstitial Cells of Cajal / Q000166:cytology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000648:ultrastructure
keywords: C-kit; CD34; PDGF-β; heart valves; telocytes; telopodes; vimentin