Smoothelin, a new marker to determine the origin of liver fibrogenic cells

Figure 1 α-smooth muscle actin and smoothelin expression in a cutaneous hypertrophic scar. A: Following a burn injury, a retractile hypertrophic scar was observed (from Vincent Casoli, Plastic Surgery and Burns Unit, University Hospital of Bordeaux, France); B: Hematoxylin and eosin staining shows typical hypertrophic scar architecture with nodules (N) surrounded by cell bundles (CB); C: α-smooth muscle actin is expressed in vascular smooth muscle cells and myofibroblasts both in and around the nodules; D: Smoothelin is only expressed by vascular tunica media smooth muscle cells.