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Figure 4. CD34 antigen investigation. (A) and (B) (higher magnification) report the immunolocalization of CD34 antigen. Gold particles present at the lumenal surface are disseminated or often aggregated (arrows) on the endothelial (E) cell surface. One pericyte (P) and the basement membrane (asterisk) are evident. The arrows in (A) indicate the presence of intercellular junctions among 3 different endothelial cells. (C) Western blot analysis of deciduous (lane A), a corresponding-aged permanent (lane B), 26-year-old (lane C), and 60-year-old (lane D) dental pulp. The higher levels of CD34 protein are detected in deciduous and permanent pulp in children, while a down-regulation is evident in adult patients; in old patients, CD34 expression is completely abolished. (D) The percentage (y-axis) of positive cells in deciduous (A), corresponding-aged permanent (B), 26-year-old (C), and healthy (D) dental pulp. The values were obtained by morphometric determination of light microscopy observations and are representative of 5 different experiments. (E) The levels of CD34 protein expressed in deciduous (A), corresponding-aged permanent (B), 26-year-old (C), and healthy (D) dental pulp, obtained by the Western-blotting technique and laser densitometry quantification and expressed as OD arbitrary units (y-axis). Results shown are representative of 3 different experiments. Bar: 1 µm. mw = molecular weight
