Embryonic Stem Cell-Like Population in Dupuytren's Disease Expresses Components of the Renin-Angiotensin System.

Unlabelled: The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) mediates cardiac and renal fibrosis. Dupuytren's disease (DD) is a proliferative fibromatosis affecting the hands. This study investigated the expression of the RAS in DD.

Embryonic Stem Cell-like Population in Dupuytren's Disease.

Background: Recent research has identified mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) within Dupuytren's disease (DD) tissue and they have been proposed to give rise to the myofibroblasts, implicated in the progression of this condition. The aim of this study was to identify and characterize the primitive population that might be upstream of the MSC population, within DD.

Methods: Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded 4-µm-thick sections of DD cords and nodules obtained from 6 patients underwent 3,3-diaminobenzidine and immunofluorescent immunohistochemical staining for embryonic stem cell (ESC) markers OCT4, NANOG, SOX2, pSTAT3, and SALL4 and endothelial markers CD34 and ERG.