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An in situ study of CD34 + cells in human fetal bone marrow
Author(s) -
Allen Janet E.,
Henshaw Denis L.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
british journal of haematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.907
H-Index - 186
eISSN - 1365-2141
pISSN - 0007-1048
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2141.2001.02898.x
Subject(s) - cd34 , bone marrow , fetus , pathology , gestation , andrology , stem cell , biology , medicine , pregnancy , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics
The purpose of this study was to characterize the spatial distribution, number and size of CD34 + cells in fetal bone marrow. Thin sections of normal fetal bone marrow from lumbar vertebrae were stained using CD34 antibody QBend/10. Sections were used under light microscopy with various eyepiece graticules to make measurements of CD34 + cells in situ. Results showed that at mid‐ and late gestation, approximately 2% and 0·5% of fetal bone marrow cells were CD34 + respectively. The mean distance of CD34 + cells from the nearest trabecular bone surface was 61 ± 4 and 46 ± 4 μm, respectively, for mid‐ and late gestation. The mean distance to the nearest neighbour was 46 ± 5 and 105 ± 15 μm, and the mean distance to the nearest blood vessel was 13 ± 1 and 17 ± 2 μm respectively. The concentration of CD34 + cells in the peripheral region was 6·5 times greater than that at the centre of the sections. Overall, the percentage number of CD34 + cells decreased with gestational age. The cellular and nuclear diameters of CD34 + cells remained unchanged throughout mid‐ and late gestation at 5·4 ± 0·1 and 3·8 ± 0·1 μm respectively. This information will be used to calculate the natural background alpha‐radiation dose to haemopoietic stem cells.