Figure 7

Representative images of immunostaining for epimorphin (A) and MMP-2 (B) in NSIP; the double-labeled confocal fluorescent image of in an early fibrotic lesion from the lung of a patient with NSIP was stained for epimorphin plus MMP-2 (C). (A) Epimorphin immunoreactivity was observed in early fibrotic areas, with (B) MMP-2 labeled in regenerated epithelial cells overlying the fibrotic lesion. Asterisks indicate early fibrotic areas. (C) MMP-2 (red) was strongly expressed in re-epithelialized cells overlying early fibrotic lesions with clear epimorphin expression (green). Nuclei were 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole dihydrochloride-positive (blue). Asterisks indicate early fibrotic areas. Scale bars = 20 μm.