Ae. Lindenmayer et M. Miettinen, IMMUNOPHENOTYPIC FEATURES OF UTERINE STROMAL CELLS - CD34 EXPRESSION IN ENDOCERVICAL STROMA, Virchows Archiv, 426(5), 1995, pp. 457-460
CD34 is a myeloid progenitor cell antigen present in endothelial cells
and some other mesenchymal cells, including perivascular and periadne
xal dermal fibroblasts. It was evaluated immunohistochemically in uter
ine stromal tissue and in 4 aggressive angiomyxomas and 6 endometrial
stromal sarcomas with potentially related and similar stromal tissues.
The stromal cells in normal endocervix and endocervical polyps were s
trong ly CD34 positive irrespective of the cycle phase, and negative f
or muscle actins. Ectocervical stroma was variably ably but generally
less CD34 reactive. In the endometrium, the CD34 reactivity was limite
d to the stromal cells of the basal endometrium and was found only in
4 of 20 from proliferative endometria and 1 of 8 from secretory endome
tria. The uterine cervical and myometrial smooth muscle tissues showed
CD34 positive cells only between the muscle bundles and around the ve
ssels. In pelvic aggressive angiomyxomas and endometrial stromal sarco
mas the tumour cells were CD34 negative and only the vascular endothel
ial cells were positive. Endothelial cell-specific antigen, CD31, was
identified only in endothelial cells and was not present in the endoce
rvical stroma. These results illustrate the particular immunohistochem
ical profile of endocervical stromal tissue, namely the strong CD34 ex
pression. The CD34 reactivity of the endocervical tissues should be no
ted and not confused with neoplasms known to be strongly CD34 positive
, such as angiosarcomas, Kaposi's sarcomas and some other spindle cell
sarcomas.