Ovarian Leydig cells (OLC): A histomorphological and immunohistochemical study
J.L. Carrasco-Juan1, H. Álvarez-Argüelles Cabrera1,2, M.C. Martín Corriente2, M. González-Gómez1, F. Valladares Parrilla1, R. Gutiérrez García1 and L. Díaz-Flores1
1Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medicine Section, University of La Laguna and 2Service of Pathology, Canary University Hospital Complex, Tenerife, Spain
Offprint requests to: J.L Carrasco-Juan, Departamento de Ciencias Médicas Básicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Sección de Medicina, Universidad de La Laguna, Campus de Ofra s/n. 38071, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Islas Canarias, Spain. e-mail: jcarraju@ull.edu.es
Summary. Testicular Leydig cells (LC) regulate the proper development of male individuals, both during fetal life (fetal LC) and puberty (adult LC). In the ovaries of adult women, there are cells that are very similar to Leydig cells, the ovarian hilus cells (OHC), which also produce testosterone. The origin of these cells, in both sexes, remains unknown and is still a matter of debate. We have studied the location, characteristics and relationships of the OHC in 90 patients. The indications for oophorectomy were: metrorrhagia (n=9), prolapse (n=8), endometrial hyperplasia (n=14), cancer (endometrial, myometrial, or cervical) (n=35), uterine leiomyomata (n=14), and various ovarian tumors (cysts and benign tumors, borderline and malignant) (n=10). In addition to the hilus, occasionally the nodules, nests and clusters of OHC were located in the mesovarium, the mesosalpinx, and in the medullar and cortical regions of the ovaries. The morphological (including crystalloids of Reinke) and immunohistochemical (positivity for calretinin and alpha-inhibin) findings were similar to those described for testicular LC. Therefore, OHC can be considered ovarian Leydig cells (OLC). LC are usually found in small numbers in the ovaries, but if one looks for them intentionally, one always finds them. Close relationships were observed between the OLC with nerves and vessels. Moreover, an intraneural location of the OLC was demonstrated in all cases, and these intraneural cells showed similar characteristics to extraneural OLC, suggesting that they derive from endoneural cells which are present in the vegetative nerves of the ovaries. Histol Histopathol 32, 1089-1097 (2017)
Key words: Leydig cells, Calretinin, Alpha-inhibin
DOI: 10.14670/HH-11-876