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Updated: Oct 18, 2025

Whole-mount Immunohistochemical Analysis for Embryonic Limb Skin Vasculature: a Model System to Study Vascular Branching Morphogenesis in Embryo
Published on: May 20, 2011
Expression of β1 adrenergic receptor in vascular anomalies in children
Maria-Corina Stănciulescu1,2, Marius-Călin Popoiu1,2, Anca Maria Cîmpean2,3,4
1Department of Pediatric Surgery and Orthopedics, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara, Romania.
Objective:
Controversial, heterogeneous, and inconsistent responses to beta-blockers have been reported in some cases of infantile proliferative hemangiomas. On the basis of these clinical observations, we aimed to examine the β1 adrenergic receptor (β1-AR) protein expression distribution among different types of pediatric vascular anomalies.
Methods:
Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed for β1-AR on 43 surgical specimens.
Results:
We found positive β1-AR IHC staining in all intramuscular hemangiomas, capillary-lymphatic, lymphatic, venous, and combined malformations, and Masson's tumor cases, as well as in 7 of 10 cases of proliferative infantile hemangiomas.
Conclusions:
Our research demonstrates, for the first time, the degree of heterogeneous expression of β1-AR among pediatric vascular malformations. Our results support the need for β1-AR assessment in pediatric vascular anomalies to select cases with a robust response to β1-selective blockers. β1-AR assessment may have a strong impact on therapeutic refinement for pediatric vascular anomalies by selecting cases with a stronger response to beta-blockers.
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