Figure 3.

Long-Term Presence of Ectopic Liver Tissue in Mesenteric Lymph Nodes

(A) PET-CT images of NIS-labeled hepatocytes at 104, 177, and 203 days post-transplantation into mesenteric lymph nodes. Representative coronal images showing persistent engraftment of NIS-labeled hepatocytes in the mesenteric lymph nodes in pigs 265 and 268. Mesenteric lymph nodes are outlined in white, stomach in red, and kidney in blue; bladder, “B.” (B) Histological confirmation of ectopic hepatocyte presence in mesenteric lymph nodes at 140 and 235–239 days post-transplantation. Pig 265: IHC showing the presence of FAH-positive hepatocytes at days 140 (top left, middle) and 239 (top right) post-transplantation. Immunofluorescence at day 239 showing cytokeratin 18 (CK18; red)-positive hepatocytes and reticular fibroblasts (ER-TR7; green) on a Hoechst background (bottom left, middle) and cytokeratin 7 (CK7; green)-positive bile-duct cells (bottom right). Pig 268: IHC showing the presence of FAH-positive hepatocytes at days 140 (top left, middle) and 235 (top right) post-transplantation. Immunofluorescence at day 235 showing CK18 (red)-positive hepatocytes and reticular fibroblasts (ER-TR7; green) on a Hoechst background (bottom left, middle) and glutamine synthetase (GS; green)-positive hepatocytes around CD31-positive endothelial cells (red), forming possible central vein (bottom right).