Cytoskeletal filaments in the smooth muscle cells of uterine leiomyomata and myometrium: an ultrastructural and immunohistochemical analysis.

The filamentous components of the cytoskeleton in smooth muscle cells of leiomyomata and normal myometrium were studied by immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy. Fourteen patients hysterectomised for non-malignant disease provided leiomyomata of conventional histological type and histologically normal myometrium: four samples of fetal myometrium were studied by immunohistochemistry alone. All samples of leiomyoma and myometrium were strongly positive for alpha-smooth muscle actin and desmin, the latter often as paranuclear columns or granules. Vimentin was also stained in most samples but less intensely, while cytokeratin stained in about half the samples with an intensity comparable to that of vimentin. By electron microscopy, myofilaments with focal densities were abundant in both normal myometrium and leiomyomata. Intermediate filaments corresponding to the desmin and vimentin demonstrated by immunohistochemistry were also recognised in a variety of architectural arrangements. At one extreme, comparatively small numbers of filaments were loosely distributed around membranous organelles; at the other, filaments formed conspicuous aggregates, largely excluding other organelles and corresponding to the paranuclear granules seen by immunohistochemistry. A comparison of these findings with those of the literature and comments on the possible significance and origin of these aggregates are provided.