Fig. 2: AML induces sympathetic nerve fibers injury.

A–D Original representative z-stack confocal images of BM biopsy samples from A control patients’ BM, patients B at primary AML diagnosis, C 15–21 days after CT, and D > 7 months after CT (left). The right panels display Imaris extracted images: CD45+ hematopoietic cells (dark green), TH+ SNFs (cyan), CD45– CD271+ CD90– (red), CD45– CD271– CD90+ (pink), and CD45– CD271+ CD90+ MSCs (yellow). Samples were stained with anti-TH (cyan), CD271 (red), CD90 (pink), and CD45 (gray). Images were acquired with 2 μm intervals to approximately 200- to 300 μm depths throughout the BM tissue, 5–7 images per sample. E Quantification of SNFs in BM from control patients (n = 4), from patients at AML diagnosis (n = 13), after CT (n = 11), and > 7 months after CT (n = 10) (left). The right panel represents SNF percentage in BM (ratio between the SNF volume and total volume from all pictures for each patient x 100 %) over time for the same patient (n = 5). F Quantification of MSC densities (the ratio between the MSC volume and total volume from all pictures for each patient x 100 %) in control BM (n = 4), from patients at AML diagnosis (n = 13), after CT (n = 11), and > 7 months after CT (n = 10) (left). Composition of CD45– CD271+ CD90+, CD45– CD271– CD90+, and CD45– CD271+ CD90– MSCs in human BM (right). Each dot represents a single patient sample. Data represented as mean +/– S.E.M. *p < 0.05, *p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001 determined by unpaired Mann–Whitney test.