Fig 1.
Representative photographs of tissue slices showing differences in gross appearance of fibroids.
A: Classical irregular whorled pattern; B, C, D: Patterns of nodules; E, F: Trabecular structures; G: Characteristics of multiple patterns. This example shows a trabecular/nodular pattern; H: Not categorized. This example shows a tightly gyrated pattern. I: Myometrial tissue shown for comparison. Note the seedling fibroid embedded in the tissue (white appearance). Ruler (cm) shown for size.
Table 1.
Characteristics of examined fibroid tissue slices.
Fig 2.
Representative samples of Masson trichrome-stained fibroid tissues (collagen stained blue-green; muscle cells stained red) examined under digital microscopy (20x).
Samples (approx. 1x1 cm) from 2 different fibroids were chosen representing a high collagen content (A:14–3) and a relatively low collagen content (B:15–2). The circular holes are due to 5 mm punches taken for rheometry before samples were fixed and stained. Collagen was quantified using pixel counts and is denoted underneath each sample.
Fig 3.
Stiffness and percent collagen in fibroids.
Columns represent mean tissue stiffness (complex shear modulus [kPa]) in 19 fibroid slices from 8 different subjects. X-axis labels indicate the subject number followed by the fibroid number. Five subjects contributed more than one fibroid to the study. Error bars indicate within-fibroid variability (SD). The pink line represents percent collagen in each fibroid slice as determined by analysis of Masson trichrome staining. The correlation coefficient of stiffness to percent collagen was 0.22.
Fig 4.
SDS-PAGE analysis of collagen in a representative fibroid sample.
Lane A: Total collagen extract under non-reducing conditions. Lane B: Total collagen extract under reducing conditions (with TCEP). Lane C: Collagen extract depleted of type V by selective salt precipitation. Lane D: Collagen extract enriched in type V by selective salt precipitation. Sample shown is from 395-E.
Table 2.
Proportion of collagen types in fibroids.