The molecular phenotypes of ureteral telocytes are layer-specific

Telocytes (TC) are the delicate interstitial (stromal) cells defined by their long, thin and moniliform processes termed telopodes. Numerous studies determined that different subsets of telocytes populate almost all tissues and attempted to relate these subsets to various functions, from cell signaling to tissue repair and regeneration. Extremely few studies addressed the urinary tract though few data on the molecular pattern of the urinary TCs actually exist. We therefore hypothesized that subsets of urinary TCs co-localize within the human ureter and we aimed at performing an immunohistochemical study to evaluate the tissue-specific molecular pattern of TCs. On sample tissues of proximal ureter drawn from ten human adult patients during surgery were applied primary antibodies against CD34, CD105, von Willebrand Factor, the heavy chain of smooth muscle myosin (SMM) and c-erbB-2. The molecular pattern indicated three different subsets of ureteral TCs which are neither endothelial nor epithelial in nature: (a) type I: the CD34-/CD105+ TCs of the superficial layer of lamina propria; (b) type II: the CD34+/CD105± myoid TCs of the deep layer of lamina propria and (c) type III: the CD34+/CD105+ perivascular TCs. Although apparently different, all these subsets of TCs could belong to the stem/progenitor niche of the ureter.