Journal of Dental Research, Vol 70, 899-905, Copyright © 1991 by International & American Associations for Dental Research Online Journals
Quantitative immunohistochemical analysis of keratins and desmoplakins in human gingiva and peri-implant mucosa
R. P. Carmichael, C. A. McCulloch and G. A. Zarb
Department of Prosthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Quantitative immunohistochemistry was used to compare the distributions of
keratins and desmoplakins in human gingiva and peri-implant mucosa (three
specimens each). In gingiva, keratin 1 (a marker of cornification) and
desmoplakins I & II (markers of desmosomes) stained most heavily in
granular strata followed by corneal strata; keratin 13, a marker of
non-cornifying stratified squamous cells, stained most heavily in
suprabasal strata of oral sulcular epithelium. Keratin 19, a marker for
junctional epithelium, stained the basal stratum of oral sulcular
epithelium most heavily. In peri-implant mucosa, the patterns of staining
were similar, except that staining for desmoplakins I & II was
generally significantly reduced compared with gingiva, and junctional
epithelium co-expressed keratins 13 and 19. Peri-implant junctional
epithelial cells attached to titanium implant abutments were removed by
trypsin/EDTA digestion, and also exhibited co-expression of keratins 13 and
19. Inflammatory cell infiltration was associated with reduction of keratin
1 staining in gingiva. The data indicate that the epithelia of gingiva and
peri-implant mucosa are not composed of identical cell populations.
