Biomaterial Database

Alpha-smooth muscle actin is expressed in a subset of bone marrow stromal cells in normal and pathological conditions. 1989

A Schmitt-Gräff, and O Skalli, and G Gabbiani

Department of Pathology, University of Düsseldorf, School of Medicine, Federal Republic of Germany.

A series of 217 trephine bone marrow biopsies from adult patients and specimens from 16 fetuses and 5 infants were examined for the presence of stromal myoid cells (MCs) using a monoclonal antibody recognizing alpha-smooth muscle actin. In the normal adult bone marrow, stromal cells did not contain alpha-smooth muscle actin, whereas during fetal life, many alpha-smooth muscle actin-containing MCs were connected with vascular sinusoids in the primitive bone marrow. This cell type reappeared in various characteristic distribution patterns in adult bone marrow during different neoplastic and non-neoplastic conditions including metastatic carcinoma, Hodgkin's disease, multiple myeloma, hairy cell leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia (FAB M4, 5, 7) and chronic myelo-proliferative diseases. In general, the appearance of MCs was associated with a slight to pronounced increase in the deposition of reticulin and collagen fibers. We propose that bone marrow MCs represent a distinct subpopulation of fiber-associated or adventitial reticular cells undergoing cytoskeletal remodeling in response to various stimuli.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007223	Infant	A child between 1 and 23 months of age.	Infants
D007938	Leukemia	A progressive, malignant disease of the blood-forming organs, characterized by distorted proliferation and development of leukocytes and their precursors in the blood and bone marrow. Leukemias were originally termed acute or chronic based on life expectancy but now are classified according to cellular maturity. Acute leukemias consist of predominately immature cells; chronic leukemias are composed of more mature cells. (From The Merck Manual, 2006)	Leucocythaemia,Leucocythemia,Leucocythaemias,Leucocythemias,Leukemias
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D009130	Muscle, Smooth	Unstriated and unstriped muscle, one of the muscles of the internal organs, blood vessels, hair follicles, etc. Contractile elements are elongated, usually spindle-shaped cells with centrally located nuclei. Smooth muscle fibers are bound together into sheets or bundles by reticular fibers and frequently elastic nets are also abundant. (From Stedman, 25th ed)	Muscle, Involuntary,Smooth Muscle,Involuntary Muscle,Involuntary Muscles,Muscles, Involuntary,Muscles, Smooth,Smooth Muscles
D009362	Neoplasm Metastasis	The transfer of a neoplasm from one organ or part of the body to another remote from the primary site.	Metastase,Metastasis,Metastases, Neoplasm,Metastasis, Neoplasm,Neoplasm Metastases,Metastases
D009369	Neoplasms	New abnormal growth of tissue. Malignant neoplasms show a greater degree of anaplasia and have the properties of invasion and metastasis, compared to benign neoplasms.	Benign Neoplasm,Cancer,Malignant Neoplasm,Tumor,Tumors,Benign Neoplasms,Malignancy,Malignant Neoplasms,Neoplasia,Neoplasm,Neoplasms, Benign,Cancers,Malignancies,Neoplasias,Neoplasm, Benign,Neoplasm, Malignant,Neoplasms, Malignant
D012016	Reference Values	The range or frequency distribution of a measurement in a population (of organisms, organs or things) that has not been selected for the presence of disease or abnormality.	Normal Range,Normal Values,Reference Ranges,Normal Ranges,Normal Value,Range, Normal,Range, Reference,Ranges, Normal,Ranges, Reference,Reference Range,Reference Value,Value, Normal,Value, Reference,Values, Normal,Values, Reference
D001853	Bone Marrow	The soft tissue filling the cavities of bones. Bone marrow exists in two types, yellow and red. Yellow marrow is found in the large cavities of large bones and consists mostly of fat cells and a few primitive blood cells. Red marrow is a hematopoietic tissue and is the site of production of erythrocytes and granular leukocytes. Bone marrow is made up of a framework of connective tissue containing branching fibers with the frame being filled with marrow cells.	Marrow,Red Marrow,Yellow Marrow,Marrow, Bone,Marrow, Red,Marrow, Yellow
D001854	Bone Marrow Cells	Cells contained in the bone marrow including fat cells (see ADIPOCYTES); STROMAL CELLS; MEGAKARYOCYTES; and the immediate precursors of most blood cells.	Bone Marrow Cell,Cell, Bone Marrow,Cells, Bone Marrow,Marrow Cell, Bone,Marrow Cells, Bone
D005260	Female		Females