Light microscopic immunolocation of thrombospondin in human tissues

• Published in: The journal of histochemistry and cytochemistry Vol. 33; no. 4; pp. 295 - 302
• Main Authors: Wight, TN, Raugi, GJ, Mumby, SM, Bornstein, P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA Histochemical Soc 01.04.1985; SAGE Publications; Histochemical Society
• Subjects: Analytical, structural and metabolic biochemistry; Aorta - analysis; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Platelets; Extracellular Matrix - analysis; Fluorescent Antibody Technique; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Glycoproteins; Glycoproteins - analysis; Humans; In Vitro Techniques; Kidney - analysis; Lung - analysis; Muscles - analysis; Proteins; Skin - analysis; Thrombospondins; Human; Immunohistochemistry; Glycoproteins
• ISSN: 0022-1554; 1551-5044
• DOI: 10.1177/33.4.3884704

Affinity-purified antisera against thrombospondin were used to locate the presence of this glycoprotein in frozen sections of several human tissues by immunofluorescence techniques. Immunostaining was observed in the peritubular connective tissue and in basement membrane regions beneath glandular epithelium in skin and lung. Intense immunostaining was observed at the dermal-epidermal junction in skin and in small blood vessels throughout this tissue. Skeletal muscle exhibited positive staining with anti-thrombospondin antisera within interstitial areas. Immunostaining was confined to the luminal portions of large blood vessels such as aorta. In large blood vessels that contained lesions of atherosclerosis, immunostaining was observed throughout the lesion area and was especially prominent surrounding some of the lesion cells. These results indicate that thrombospondin is located within the matrix of a variety of human tissues and supports the suggestion that this glycoprotein is an endogenous component of some extracellular matrices.