Distribution of telocytes in the corpus and cervix of human uterus: an immunohistochemical study

Martin Klein; Ladislav Urban; Ivan Deckov; Lubos Danisovic; Stefan Polak; Ludovit Danihel; Ivan Varga

doi:10.1515/biolog-2017-0134

Article

Distribution of telocytes in the corpus and cervix of human uterus: an immunohistochemical study

Martin Klein , Ladislav Urban , Ivan Deckov , Lubos Danisovic , Stefan Polak , Ludovit Danihel and Ivan Varga

Published/Copyright: October 31, 2017

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From the journal Biologia Volume 72 Issue 10

Abstract

Over the last few years, researchers have been studying telocytes, recently described interstitial cells, voraciously. This morphological study focused on the immunohistochemical identification of telocytes and the study of their topographical relations in the wall of the human uterine body and cervix. This study attempted to find the most specific and therefore, the most suitable monoclonal antibody for the study of telocytes via the immunohistochemical methods. Tissue specimens from human uteruses were stained with eight different primary antibodies, to detect the expression of c-kit (CD117), CD34 antigen, vimentin, α-smooth muscle actin, progesterone receptor, desmin, estrogen receptor and S 100 protein. The presence of telocytes was studied in four different histological regions of the uterus: the endometrium and myometrium of the corpus, endocervical mucosa and exocervical mucosa. This study shows that c-kit is the most suitable marker for identification of telocytes in human uterine body and cervix. C-kit positive telocytes within the endometrium, myometrium, as well as the mucosa of the endocervix and exocervix exhibited an assorted variety of shapes from spindle-shaped, triangular to star-shaped. The greatest abundance of c-kit positive telocytes is found within the myometrium. The connective tissue of endocervical mucosa also contains a considerable number of these cells, while the lowest count of c-kit positive telocytes is found within the endometrium and exocervical mucosa.

Key words: uterine telocytes; endometrium; myometrium; c-kit; immunohistochemistry

Acknowledgements

Authors thank Mrs. Gabriela Fujerikova for technical assistance during histological preparation.

Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Ethical approval: This study was approved by the local Ethical Committee of the General Hospital in Komárno, Slovakia. The patients provided written informed consent prior to participating in the study.

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Received: 2017-9-15

Accepted: 2017-10-23

Published Online: 2017-10-31

Published in Print: 2017-10-26

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https://doi.org/10.1515/biolog-2017-0134

Keywords for this article

uterine telocytes; endometrium; myometrium; c-kit; immunohistochemistry