Specimens of human gingiva were collected from teenage and adult subjects and frozen sections were stained with an extensive panel of monoclonal antibodies with defined specificities for individual cytokeratins. The results indicated different and distinctive patterns of keratin expression by the oral gingival, oral sulcular and the junctional epithelia. It was observed that epithelium with staining characteristics of sulcular epithelium extended over the gingival crest onto the oral surface of the gingiva. Junctional epithelium showed the unusual pattern of co-expression of keratins typical of the stratifying and of the simple epithelial phenotypes. The patterns of gingival keratin expression are compared with those of other mucosal epithelia. The findings are discussed in relation to mechanisms that may determine or influence the junctional epithelial phenotype.

AT. Immunocytochemical examination of immune cells in periapical granulomata and odontogenic cysts. J Oral Pathol 1988: 17: 84-90. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were used to determine the presence and distribution of immune cells including lymphocytes, macrophages and Langerhans cells, in normal periodontal ligament, periapical granulomata, periapical cysts and dental developmental cysts. Isolated T-lymphocytes, but not B-lymphocytes, were detected in specimens of non-inflamed periodontal ligament. Increased numbers of T and B lymphocytes were found in all of the lesions examined. Monocytes/maerophages were associated with most periapical granulomata, dental developmental cysts and all periapical cysts. Langerhans cells, intraepithelial lymphocytes, and monocytes/maerophages were not detected in the rests of Malassez but were found in some epithelia within periapical granulomata and in most epithelial linings of odontogenic cysts. Increased numbers of immune cells were seen around proliferative epithelia and adjacent to the epithelial linings of cysts. Epithelium, particularly that of odontogenic cysts, showed positive reactions for HLA-Dr, lysozyme and for a-1 antitrypsin. The presence of immune cells in periapical granulomata and odontogenic cysts, suggests that cell-mediated and humoral immunoreactions occur in these lesions and may be assoeiated with the epithelial proliferation within the periapical lesions.

Using immunocytochemistry and a panel of monoclonal antibodies directed against various keratin polypeptides we examined specimens of normal periodontal ligament, periapical granulomas and inflammatory dental cysts. Epithelial elements with the appearance of rests of Malassez were identified in 6 specimens of normal periodontium and 10 periapical granulomas. Altered epithelium was present in 16 periapical granulomas and a lining epithelium in 10 inflammatory dental cysts. The patterns of binding of antibodies by these epithelia indicated that (a) keratin 19 was expressed by all epithelia, and (b) rests of Malassez also expressed keratin 5 but not large amounts of other keratins and (c) epithelial proliferation in periapical lesions was associated with increased expression of keratin 14, a marker of stratifying epithelia, new expression of keratins 4 and 13, differentiation markers for non‐cornifying epithelia and variable, low levels of keratins 8 and 18, markers of simple epithelia. Proliferation of the epithelial rests of Malassez to form the lining of inflammatory dental cysts thus appears to be associated with a change from an unusual epithelial phenotype to that of a stratified non‐cornifying epithelium in which some simple epithelial keratins are coexpressed.

The patterns of cytokeratin expression in the epithelium of 5 dental follicles, 7 dentigerous cysts, 5 odontogenic keratocysts, 3 nasopalatine cysts and an epidermoid cyst have been studies using a panel of monoclonal antibodies. The epithelium of dental follicles and of developmental odontogenic cysts strongly expressed keratins 5 and 19 and showed weaker expression of keratins typical of stratified non-cornified and of simple epithelia. Staining with mAbs against the latter keratins varied with the degree of epithelial differentiation. Nasopalatine cysts strongly expressed simple epithelial keratins and the epidermoid cyst strongly expressed a marker of cornification. Odontogenic cysts thus appear to differ in their pattern of keratin expression from other oral developmental cysts and all derivatives of odontogenic epithelia appear to share similar basic patterns of cytokeratin expression.

Fourteen specimens of periodontal pockets and the associated marginal gingiva were collected and either frozen for examination using antibodies against various defined cytokeratin specificities or processed for 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis. The epithelium forming the pocket lining typically extended into the connective tissue of the pocket wall in the form of a network of finger-like strips. Immunocytological staining indicated that keratins (K) 5, 6, 14 and 19 were expressed by almost all cells of the pocket lining and K13 and K16 by the suprabasal cells. The coronal region of the pocket lining showed some cells staining for K4. Staining for K8 and K18 was seen in the apical region of the pocket lining and in the finger-like extensions of epithelium into the connective tissue. Compared with normal gingiva, the sulcular and the oral gingival epithelia showed a marked increase in staining for K19. Surprisingly, the pattern of keratin expression of the epithelium of the pocket lining was found to be essentially similar to that of normal junctional epithelium and the anatomical position of the boundaries between each epithelial phenotype were not significantly altered. These patterns of keratin expression were confirmed by the 2D electrophoretic analyses of microdissected regions of epithelium. The potential significance of inflammation to the epithelial changes associated with pocket formation is discussed.