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Varga I, Klein M, Urban L, Danihel L, Polak S, Danihel L. Recently discovered interstitial cells "telocytes" as players in the pathogenesis of uterine leiomyomas. Med Hypotheses 2017; 110:64-67. [PMID: 29317071 DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2017.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Uterine telocytes are interstitial cells characterized by a very long cytoplasmic prolongations, which form a 3D network, functionally integrating a wide variety of different cells. Leiomyomas (uterine fibroids) are benign tumors, which pose a huge threat concerning various health problems in women affected by this condition. The exact cause of leiomyomas development is, however, still largely unknown. Therefore, in an attempt to clarify their etiology, we performed an immunohistochemical characterization of telocytes in leiomyomas as well as in normal myometrium. Tissue samples of intramural leiomyomas from 26 women (age 46.26 ± 11.07) were immunohistochemically stained for the expression of c-kit (CD117) antigen, one of the markers of telocytes. C-kit (CD117) antigen is useful for a routine immunohistochemical identification of uterine telocytes in histological sections of myometrium. In normal, healthy myometrium the c-kit positive telocytes occupy approximately 2.2% of the area of a tissue slide, contrasting with no detectable c-kit positive cells within leiomyomas. As telocytes are thought to be key players in the regulation of tissue homoeostasis, our data suggest that uterine telocyte loss may have important implications in the pathogenesis of leiomyomas. In addition, we supposed to summarize three hypotheses on the association of the cells telocytes loss within the myometrium and formation of leiomyomas. These hypotheses include the loss of telocytes' functions as "sex hormone sensors" and regulators of smooth muscle cells cycle; the role of telocytes as progenitor cells for the development of leiomyomas; and the hypothesis of decreased angiogenesis after telocytes' loss with subsequent hypoxia (as a key factor for leiomyomas development).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Varga
- Institute of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Spitalska Street 24, SK-81372 Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - Martin Klein
- Institute of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Spitalska Street 24, SK-81372 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Ladislav Urban
- Institute of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Spitalska Street 24, SK-81372 Bratislava, Slovakia; Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, ForLife General Hospital, Medercska Street 39, SK-945 75 Komarno, Slovakia
| | - Ludovit Danihel
- Third Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University and Hospital of The Brothers of Saint John of God, Bratislava, Namestie SNP 10, SK-814 65 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Stefan Polak
- Institute of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Spitalska Street 24, SK-81372 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Ludovit Danihel
- Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Spitalska Street 24, SK-81372 Bratislava, Slovakia
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