Global gene expression analysis of human fibroblasts from whole body

Fibroblasts are the principal stromal cells that exist in whole organs and play vital roles in many biological processes. Although the functional diversity of fibroblasts has been estimated, a comprehensive analysis of fibroblasts from the whole body has not been performed and their phenotypical diversity has not been sufficiently explored. The aim of this study was to elucidate the phenotypical diversity of human fibroblasts within the whole body. Global gene expression analysis of 63 human primary fibroblasts from 13 organs elucidated that fibroblasts from the gastrointestinal tract showed a remarkably distinct character compared to that seen in other organs. Furthermore, gastrointestinal fibroblasts were created by topologically diverse subgroups of fibroblasts depending on their organ and histoanatomical site in the gastrointestinal walls. Global gene expression analysis was performed on 63 human primary fibroblasts from 13 anatomical organs. Of these, 32 fibroblasts from gastrointestinal organs were obtained from a pair of 2 histoanatomical sites, including the submucosal layer (submucosal fibroblasts: SMFs) and subperitoneal layer (subperitoneal fibroblasts: SPFs). Using hierarchical clustering analysis, identifiable phenotypical subgroups of fibroblasts were elucidated and the phenotypical character of each subgroup was analyzed.