Immunohistochemical distribution of epimorphin in human and mouse tissues.

A novel protein epimorphin has been identified as a mesenchymal signal factor. We reported previously ubiquitous expression of epimorphin in normal skin and a significant increased expression in diseased human skin. The present immunofluorescence study was conducted to determine systematically the distribution of epimorphin in adult human organs with an anti-epimorphin monoclonal antibody. Epimorphin was found to be widely distributed in all human organs examined. It was present in the connective tissue adjacent to or around various epithelial tissues, muscles and vessels. In particular, strong staining was present on the endomysium of muscles, the adventitia of blood vessels, along the sinusoidal lining of hepatocytes and connective tissue around epithelial cells, exocrine and endocrine glands. The results suggest that epimorphin may play a key role in maintaining normal tissue structure and interaction between mesenchymal tissue and epithelial tissue in vivo.