Comparative analysis of the expression of surface markers on fibroblasts and fibroblast-like cells isolated from different human tissues.

Expression of 20 surface markers was analyzed in cultures of mesenchymal stromal cells of the umbilical cord, fibroblasts from adult and fetal human skin, and fibroblast-like cells of fetal liver was analyzed by fl ow cytometry. The studied cultures did not express hemopoietic cells markers, but were positive for CD73, CD90, and CD105 markers recommended by the International Society of Cell Therapy for the identification of the multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells. Fetal liver fibroblast-like cells were positive for CD54; this marker was absent in skin fibroblast cultures, but was expressed by umbilical cord mesenchymal stromal cells. Further study of these cells revealed a minor subpopulation of cells co-expressing CD24 and CD90 or CD24 and CD54. We hypothesized that these cells probably participate in epithelial mesenchymal transition.