Paracrine or virus-mediated induction of decorin expression by endothelial cells contributes to tube formation and prevention of apoptosis in collagen lattices.

Resting endothelial cells express the small proteoglycan biglycan, whereas sprouting endothelial cells also synthesize decorin, a related proteoglycan. Here we show that decorin is expressed in endothelial cells in human granulomatous tissue. For in vitro investigations, the human endothelium-derived cell line, EA.