We aimed to identify and quantify CD117+ and CD90+ endogenous cardiac progenitor cells (CPC) in human healthy and diseased hearts. We hypothesize that these cells perform a locally acting, contributing function in overcoming medical conditions of the heart by endogenous means. Human myocardium biopsies were obtained from 23 patients with the following diagnoses: Dilatative cardiomyopathy (DCM),...

Extragastrointestinal stromal tumors (EGISTs) are rare tumors that arise outside the digestive tract. We report a case of an EGIST arising in the subcutaneous tissue of the abdominal wall, which at this site can often be misdiagnosed as dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans. The tumor was surgically resected from a 72-year-old male Chinese Han patient, and pathological examination revealed spindle-sh...

Received October 2009 Accepted November 2009 INTRODUCTION A gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is primarily located in the gastrointestinal tract. It is classified as a mesenchymal tumor that shows a CD117 (c-KIT)-positive mesenchymal spindle or epithelioid neoplasm. Tumors outside the gastrointestinal tract that were histologically similar to GISTs and showed immunopositivity for CD117 were...

The expression of lineage molecules (CD13 and CD33), c-Kit receptor (CD117), CD34, HLA-DR and adhesion molecule CD49d was assessed in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) blast cells from 32 cases, using direct and indirect quantitative cytometric analysis. High correlation (r=0.8) was found between antigen expression intensity values calculated by direct analysis method (ABC) and by indirect analysis ...

BACKGROUND Adult stem cells can contribute to myocardial regeneration after ischemic injury. Bone marrow and skeletal muscles contain a population of CXCR4+ cells expressing genes specific for muscle progenitor cells that can be mobilized into the peripheral blood. The aims of the study were (1) to confirm the presence of early tissue-committed cells expressing cardiac, muscle, and endothelial ...

BACKGROUND Phyllodes tumors (PTs) represent uncommon fibroepithelial lesions of the breast that express c-Kit and platelet-derived growth factor receptor-alpha, similar to gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). 'Activating' mutations in these genes underlie responsiveness of GISTs to imatinib. Standard treatment for breast PTs is wide local excision, with no role for targeted therapies. PAT...