Characteristic of c-Kit+ progenitor cells in explanted human hearts.
According to literature data, self-renewing, multipotent, and clonogenic cardiac c-Kit(+) progenitor cells occur within human myocardium. The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize c-Kit(+) progenitor cells from explanted human hearts. Experimental material was obtained from 19 adult and 7 pediatric patients. Successful isolation and culture was achieved for 95 samples (84.1%) derived from five different regions of the heart: right and left ventricles, atrium, intraventricular septum, and apex. The average percentage of c-Kit(+) cells, as assessed by FACS, ranged between 0.7 and 0.9%. In contrast to published data we do not observed statistically significant differences in the number of c-Kit(+) cells between disease-specific groups, parts of the heart or sexes. Nevertheless, c-Kit(+) cells were present in significant numbers (11-24%) in samples derived from three explanted pediatric hearts. c-Kit(+) cells were also positive for CD105 and a majority of them was positive for CD31 and CD34 (83.7 ± 8.6 and 75.7 ± 11.4%, respectively). Immunohistochemical analysis of the heart tissue revealed that most cells possessing the c-Kit antigen were also positive for tryptase, a specific mast cell marker. However, flow cytometry analysis has shown cultured c-Kit(+) cells to be negative for hematopoietic marker CD45 and mast cell marker CD33. Isolated c-Kit(+) cells display mesenchymal stem cell features and are thought to differentiate into endothelial cells.
Center for Translational Research and Molecular Biology of Cancer, Maria Skłodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Center and Institute of Oncology, Gliwice Branch, Wybrzeże Armii Krajowej Street 15, 44-101, Gliwice, Poland.
Sybilla
S
Matuszczak
Justyna
J
Czapla
Magdalena
M
Jarosz-Biej
Ewa
E
Wiśniewska
Tomasz
T
Cichoń
Ryszard
R
Smolarczyk
Magdalena
M
Kobusińska
Karolina
K
Gajda
Piotr
P
Wilczek
Joanna
J
Sliwka
Michał
M
Zembala
Marian
M
Zembala
Stanisław
S
Szala
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D061307:Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009206:Myocardium / Q000166:cytology*; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000378:metabolism*; D053802:Tryptases / Q000378:metabolism; D055815:Young Adult
D015703:Antigens, CD; D015415:Biomarkers; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit; D053802:Tryptases