CD34+ spindle-shaped cells selectively disappear from the skin lesion of scleroderma

CD34 stromal expression is inversely proportional to smooth muscle actin expression and extent of morphea

“…Their results are controversial, but a majority of them observed that FXIIIa+ DDCs increased in morphea 4,5,8,10 and conversely decreased in systemic sclerosis. 3,7 In line with previous studies, FXIIIa+ DDCs increased in morphea in the present study. However, FXIIIa+ DDCs had no significant changing trend in accordance with disease extent or degree of fibrosis.…”

“…According to our results, CD34+ DDCs declined and SMA+ myofibroblasts increased in morphea, and these findings are in line with findings of previous studies. [3][4][5][6]8,9,25,26 In subtype analysis, CD34+ DDCs showed a statistically significant decreasing trend with increasing disease extent and increasing fibrosis degree of morphea, respectively. Gilmour et al 5 showed that CD34+ DDCs decreased as the dermis became less inflammatory and more sclerotic; however, they did not analyse the results for statistical significance.…”

Evidence for progressive reduction and loss of telocytes in the dermal cellular network of systemic sclerosis

“…Moreover, some telocytes appeared concentrated around vascular structures, nerves and skin adnexa (hair follicles, sebaceous and eccrine sweat glands). In agreement with a previous report on a selective disappearance of 'CD34positive spindle-shaped cells' from the skin lesions of SSc [40], we observed a striking reduction in telocytes in the affected skin of all our SSc patients. Our data show that the telocyte loss evolves differently according to the SSc subsets and stages.…”

Immunohistochemical characterization of fibroblast subpopulations in normal peritoneal tissue and in peritoneal dialysis-induced fibrosis

“…However, it diminishes and disappears during peritoneal fibrosis. A similar phenomenon of CD34 loss of expression has been described in other types of fibrosis, such as that seen in the skin [2,3,11,23] and in the fibrotic response associated with several types of carcinoma [4,7,14]. The role of CD34+ fibroblastic stromal cells in the fibrotic process is not well understood, and the exact meaning of CD34 loss of expression is unknown.…”