Fig. 3

CD146 expression on pericytes in normal human skin. A, B, C, D Representative immunofluorescence images of human skin sections stained for CD146, CD31 and different markers of perivascular cells. Pericyte-like cells double positive for CD146 and NG2 localize around the entire blood capillaries, in both upper (A) and deep (B) vascular plexus. NG2⁻/CD146⁺/CD31⁺ blood endothelial cells and NG2⁺/CD146⁺/CD31⁻ pericytes can be clearly distinguished in blood capillaries (B). Whereas a small population of desmin/CD146-double positive cells can be observed only on a small fraction of blood capillaries (C), co-localization between CD146 and αSMA is extensively observed in most of the blood capillaries (D). (n = 3 independent donors). Scale bar: 50 µm. White dashed lines indicate the epidermal-dermal junction