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. 2014 Jul;8(1):379-383.
doi: 10.3892/ol.2014.2104. Epub 2014 Apr 29.

The role of mast cell tryptases in cardiac myxoma: Histogenesis and development of a challenging tumor

Giuseppe Donato  1 , Francesco Conforti  1 , Caterina Camastra  1 , Michele Ammendola  2 , Annalidia Donato  1 , Attilio Renzulli  3
Affiliations

The role of mast cell tryptases in cardiac myxoma: Histogenesis and development of a challenging tumor

Giuseppe Donato et al. Oncol Lett. 2014 Jul.

Abstract

A number of available studies have focused on the role of mastocytes and their angiogenic factors, such as tryptase expression, in cancer growth as a major research objective. Cardiac myxoma is a rare neoplasia and is the most common primary tumor of the heart. The cellular elements of cardiac myxoma have an endothelial phenotype; however, its histogenesis remains unclear. Currently, no available studies have correlated the pathological characteristics of cardiac myxomas, such as cell differentiation and vascularization, with the angiogenic factors of mast cells. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of mast cell tryptases on the development of cardiac myxomas and examine the histogenesis of tumoral cells. A series of 10 cardiac myxomas were examined by immunohistochemical analysis for the presence of tryptase-positive mast cells. Statistical analysis of our data demonstrated that angiogenesis and the development of pseudovascular structures were correlated with the number of tryptase-positive mast cells. Therefore, we hypothesize that cardiac myxoma cells are endothelial precursors which are able to generate mature vascular structures. Further morphological and immunophenotypic analyses of tumoral cells may corroborate such a hypothesis.

Keywords: angiogenesis; cardiac myxoma; mast cells; tryptase.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Scattered, dark stained, cellular elements were observed in the immunohistochemical staining of mast cells for (A) tryptase and (B) cluster of differentiation 117. Hematoxylin and eosin staining revealed (C) pseudovascular structures without intermixed vessels (empty arrow) and an isolated vessel-like channel (full arrow), and (D) pseudovascular (full arrow) and vascular structures growing in the same area, and vascular channels developing in the pseudovascular structures (empty arrow). Scale bar, A–D=100 μm.
Figure 2
Figure 2
In the same area of a myxoma, pseudovascular structures and scattered tumoral cells stained positive for (A) CD31, (B) CD34 (magnification, ×20), (C) CD31 and (D) CD34 (magnification, ×40). Scale bars, A and B=100 μm; C and D=200 μm. CD, cluster of differentiation.
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