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Human skin basement membrane‐associated heparan sulphate proteoglycan: distinctive differences in ultrastructural localization as a function of developmental age
Author(s) -
HORIGUCHI Y.,
FINE JODAVID,
COUCHMAN J.R.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
british journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.304
H-Index - 179
eISSN - 1365-2133
pISSN - 0007-0963
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2133.1991.tb00617.x
Subject(s) - ultrastructure , basement membrane , proteoglycan , microbiology and biotechnology , perlecan , function (biology) , biology , glycosaminoglycan , extracellular matrix , chemistry , pathology , anatomy , medicine
Summary Recent studies have demonstrated that skin basement membrane components are expressed within the derma‐epidermal junction in an orderly sequence during human foetal development. We have investigated the ultrastructural localization of basement membrane‐related antigens in human foetal skin at different developmenlal ages using two monoclonal antibodies to a well‐characterized basement membrane‐associated heparan sulphate proteoglycan. A series of foetal skin specimens (range. 54–142 gestational days) were examined using an immunoperoxidase immunoelectron microscopic technique. In specimens representing very early developmental ages, very diffuse Immunoreaction products were detected. However. by approximately 76 gestational days. some accentuation of heparan sulphate proteoglycan was noted along the lamina densa. and by 142 gestational days. the distribution of heparan sulphate proteoglycan was identical to that observed in neonatal and adult human skin. These findings demonstrate that active remodelling of the dermo‐epidermal junction occurs during at least the first two trimesters, and affects not only basement membrane‐associated structures but also specific antigens.