PV-1 expression could distinguish the subset of caveolae-presenting telocytes that are endothelial progenitors

Vol. 58 No. 3, 2017

ROMANIAN JOURNAL of MORPHOLOGY and EMBRYOLOGY

Alexandra Diana Vrapciu, Mugurel Constantin Rusu

Telocytes (TCs) are stromal cells with characteristic long, thin and moniliform prolongations termed telopodes. They were formerly termed interstitial Cajal-like cells. A characteristic set of markers to identify TCs in light microscopy has not been established until now. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is a better tool for identifying TCs. Telocytes display caveolae and can express caveolin-1. On the other hand, endothelial cells (ECs) as well as endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) have caveolae. Recent evidence suggests that a subset of TCs are in fact EPCs. The distinction of this progenitor subset of TCs can be easily made by a specific set of ultrastructure markers, as follows. Caveolae of endothelial cells present stomatal diaphragms (SDs). The plasmalemma vesicle-associated protein-1 (PV-1), which is identical with the Pathologische Anatomie Leiden endothelium (PAL-E), is specifically identifying the ECs SDs of caveolae. We therefore raise the reasonable hypothesis that the EPCs subset of caveolae-presenting TCs could be accurately identified, without exploration in TEM, by the positive expression of PV-1 or PAL-E in the SDs.

Corresponding author: Mugurel Constantin Rusu, Professor, MD, Dr. Hab., Dr. Med., Dr. Biol.; e-mail: mugurel.rusu@umcd.ro

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