Telocytes in Exocrine Glands Stroma.

Stroma is viewed as the supportive framework of a predominant epithelial organ, comprising mostly of connective tissue, blood vessels and nerves. Since the discovery of telocytes one decade ago (Popescu and Faussone-Pellegrini J Cell Mol Med 2010;14(4):729-40), their presence was proven in several exocrine gland stromata, including major and minor salivary glands, mammary glands as well as exocrine pancreas.Telocytes have been found in a close connection with acinar and ductal structures but also with their stromal neighbours - nerves, blood vessels or other connective elements, either cells or collagen fibres.The approaches used to reveal the telocytes' location were immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy.