title: Expression of epithelial markers by human umbilical cord stem cells. A topographical analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Human umbilical cord stem cells have inherent differentiation capabilities and potential usefulness in regenerative medicine. However, the epithelial differentiation capability and the heterogeneity of these cells have not been fully explored to the date.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed the expression of several undifferentiation and epithelial markers in cells located in situ in different zones of the umbilical cord -in situ analysis- and in primary ex vivo cell cultures of Wharton's jelly stem cells by microarray and immunofluorescence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our results demonstrated that umbilical cord cells were heterogeneous and had intrinsic capability to express in situ stem cell markers, CD90 and CD105 and the epithelial markers cytokeratins 3, 4, 7, 8, 12, 13, 19, desmoplakin and zonula occludens 1 as determined by microarray and immunofluorescence, and most of these markers remained expressed after transferring the cells from the in situ to the ex vivo cell culture conditions. However, important differences were detected among some cell types in the umbilical cord, with subvascular zone cells showing less expression of stem cell markers and cells in Wharton's jelly and the amnioblastic zones showing the highest expression of stem cells and epithelial markers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that umbilical cord mesenchymal cells have intrinsic potential to express relevant epithelial markers, and support the idea that they could be used as alternative cell sources for epithelial tissue engineering.
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology (Tissue Engineering Group), University of Granada, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs. Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Garzón
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology (Tissue Engineering Group), University of Granada, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs. Granada, Spain; PhD programme in Biomedicine, University of Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Alfonso-Rodríguez
authors.affiliation: PhD programme in Clinical Medicine and Public Health, University of Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martínez-Gómez
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology (Tissue Engineering Group), University of Granada, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs. Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Carriel
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology (Tissue Engineering Group), University of Granada, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs. Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Martin-Piedra
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs. Granada, Spain; Division of Pediatric Surgery, University Hospital Virgen de las Nieves, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fernández-Valadés
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology (Tissue Engineering Group), University of Granada, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs. Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Quevedo
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology (Tissue Engineering Group), University of Granada, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs. Granada, Spain. Electronic address: malaminos@ugr.es.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alaminos
mesh_terms: D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D000071063:Endoglin; D006801:Humans; D007633:Keratins / Q000378:metabolism; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000378:metabolism; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D018800:Thy-1 Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D014470:Umbilical Cord / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D059631:Wharton Jelly / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D015415:Biomarkers; C064206:ENG protein, human; D000071063:Endoglin; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D018800:Thy-1 Antigens; D007633:Keratins
keywords: Epithelial markers; Human Wharton's jelly stem cells; Human umbilical cord