Expression of Mesenchymal Stem Cell Phenotype in Human Nasal Respiratory Epithelial Cells Expresión del Fenotipo de Células Troncales Mesenquimales en Células Epiteliales Nasales Humanas

MUHAMMED, A. A.; YUNUS, M. H. M.; SAIM, A. B. & IDRUS, R. B. H. Expression of mesenchymal stem cell phenotype inhuman nasal respiratory epithelial cells. Int. J. Morphol., 33(4):1476-1482, 2015.SUMMARY: The respiratory epithelium is the first line of contact with the external hazards. Thus it can be damaged and needto be replaced to avoid healing by fibrosis. Tracheal tissue engineering is an alternative promising treatment modality. Mesenchymalstem cell markers are surface proteins, which are responsible for some of these cells unique properties. The objective of this study was todetect the mesenchymal stem cell phenotype among the human nasal respiratory epithelial cells via two immunophenotyping techniq ues.Respiratory epithelial cells were cultured using co-culture technique, fibroblasts was removed at confluence leaving respirator y epithelialcells, which were passage further to passage 4. Cells were evaluated for mesenchymal stem cell markers that were CD73, CD90, CD 105and the hematopoietic stem cell marker CD45 at passage 1 (P1) and passage 4 (P4) using Flow cytometry and Immunocytochemistrytechniques. Respiratory epithelial cells expressed the mesenchymal stem cell markers at P1 and maintain the expression these markersuntil P4. Using both techniques, to compare the values of mesenchymal stem cell markers expression at P1 to P4 there was no sig nificantdifference. This study indicates that respiratory epithelial cells derived from nasal turbinate retain some of mesenchymal stem cellsproperties even after serial passages. Both methods of Immunophenotyping are comparable.KEY WORDS : Human nasal respiratory epithelium; Immunostaining; Mesenchymal stem cells marker; Tissueengineering; Nasal turbinate.