To elucidate the roles of CD34-positive stromal cells and alpha-smooth muscle actin-positive stromal cells at the
tumor border of skin
sweat gland neoplasms, we examined expression of stromal cell markers in the
tumor capsule of 19 skin
sweat gland neoplasms (16 mixed
tumors of the skin and three nodular
hidradenomas) using
monoclonal antibodies to CD34, CD31,
cytokeratin 14 (CK14), alpha-smooth muscle actin (
ASMA) and high molecular weight
caldesmon (HCD). We regarded CD34-positive, CD31-, CK14-,
ASMA- and HCD-negative stromal cells to be CD34-positive stromal cells, and
ASMA-positive, HCD-, CK14-, CD34- and CD31-negative stromal cells to be
ASMA-positive stromal cells. CD34-positive stromal cells were detected in the
tumor capsule of all 19 of the
tumors examined. In nine of the 16 mixed
tumors (56%) and all of the three nodular
hidradenomas,
ASMA-positive stromal cells were detected at the immediate inner side of the CD34-positive stromal cell layers. These results indicate that cellular components in the
tumor capsules of mixed
tumors of the skin and nodular
hidradenomas are CD34-positive stromal cells and
ASMA-positive stromal cells, and suggest that stromal cells of these two cell types are associated with
tumor capsule formation of skin
sweat gland neoplasms.