Figure 3.

Immunofluorescence micrographs of human myometrium and leiomyoma samples with immunostaining by a monoclonal antibody specific for type IV collagen. (A) No immunofluorescence is recognized in the control section. (B) In normal myometrium, bundles of smooth muscle cells are surrounded by type IV collagen, which is not present in larger septa separating muscle fibers. (C) In the leiomyomata, type IV collagen was localized in bundles of smooth muscle cells, whereas it is absent in areas of ECM accumulation. The immunostaining of tissues from 19 additional patients yielded similar results (original magnification, ×125).