Follicular dendritic cell tumor of the mediastinum: expression of fractalkine and SDF-1alpha as mast cell chemoattractants.

Follicular dendritic cell tumor (FDCT) is a rare tumor mainly located in laterocervical lymph nodes. We report one case of mediastinal FDCT associated with a history of bullous skin disease and clinically obvious immunosuppression. This tumor was characterized by heavy mast cell infiltration.

Human endothelial cells derived from circulating progenitors display specific functional properties compared with mature vessel wall endothelial cells.

Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) were shown to be present in systemic circulation and cord blood. We investigated whether EPCs display specific properties compared with mature endothelial cells. Human cord blood CD34+ cells were isolated and adherent cells were amplified under endothelial conditions.

Beneficial effect of pentoxifylline on microvesicular steatotic livers submitted to a prolonged cold ischemia.

Background: The deleterious effect of steatosis on transplanted livers is mainly related to a microcirculation impairment. We investigated the effect of preservation duration on the recovery of isolated perfused rat steatotic livers and tested the effect of pentoxifylline (PTX), known to have a beneficial effect on hepatic microcirculation.

Materials And Methods: Fatty rat livers were obtained using a diet able to induce an 80% to 100% microvesicular steatosis within 7 days.

Fetal liver stroma consists of cells in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition.

Liver becomes the predominant site of hematopoiesis by 11.5 dpc (days after coitus) in the mouse and 15 gestational weeks in humans and stays so until the end of gestation. The reason the liver is the major hematopoietic site during fetal life is not clear.