Context: Human -cell gene profiling is a powerful tool for understanding -cell biology in normal and pathological conditions. Assessment is complicated when isolated islets are studied because of contamination by non--cells and the trauma of the isolation procedure.

Objective: The objective was to use laser capture microdissection (LCM) of human -cells from pancreases of cadaver donors and compare their gene expression with that of hand-picked isolated islets.

Design: Endogenous autofluorescence of -cells facilitated procurement of purified -cell tissue from frozen pancreatic sections with LCM. Gene expression profiles of 3 microdissected -cell samples and 3 isolated islet preparations were obtained. The array data were normalized using DNA-chip Analyzer (dChip) software and the lower confidence bound (LCB) evaluated differentially expressed genes. Real time PCR was performed on selected acinar genes and on the duct cell markers, carbonic anhydrase II (CA2) and keratin 19 (CK19).

Results: Endogenous autofluorescence facilitates the microdissection of -cell rich tissue in human pancreas. When compared with array profiles of purified -cell tissue, with LCB set at 1.2, there were 4,560 genes upregulated and 1,226 genes downregulated in the isolated islets. Among the genes upregulated in isolated islets were pancreatic acinar and duct genes, chemokine genes, and genes associated with hypoxia, apoptosis and stress. Quantitative RT-PCR confirmed the differential expression of acinar gene transcripts and the duct marker CA2 in isolated islets.

Conclusions: LCM makes it possible to obtain -cell enriched tissue from human pancreas sections without the trauma and ischemia of islet isolation.