Heterogeneity in hormone responses and patterns of collagen synthesis in cloned dermal fibroblasts.

S R Goldring; M L Stephenson; E Downie; S M Krane; J H Korn

doi:10.1172/JCI114506

Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.

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Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.

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Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.

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Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.

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Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.

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Published in Volume 85, Issue 3 on March 1, 1990
J Clin Invest. 1990;85(3):798–803. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI114506.
© 1990 The American Society for Clinical Investigation

Published March 1, 1990 - Version history

Fibroblasts cultured from normal human dermis are heterogeneous with respect to growth kinetics, synthetic function, and morphologic features. There are many examples of clonal heterogeneity in apparently homogeneous connective tissue cell populations, and it has been suggested that selection of cell populations with particular phenotypic features is the basis for the development of pathologic connective tissue changes in inflammatory disorders. In these studies we report characterization of the pattern of matrix biosynthesis and responses to hormones in cells cloned from normal human dermis. The results indicate that cloned dermal fibroblasts are heterogeneous with respect to synthesis of collagens as well as their responses to prostaglandin E2 and parathyroid hormone. Selective expansion of clonal populations with unique patterns of matrix synthesis and cell surface receptors could provide the basis for abnormal connective tissue remodeling in certain pathologic states.