Bharghavi Narayanan1, Malathi Narasimhan2. 1. Post graduate, Department of Oral Pathology, Faculty of Dental Sciences, Sri Ramachandra University , Porur, Chennai, India . 2. Professor and Head, Department of Oral Pathology, Faculty of Dental Sciences, Sri Ramachandra University , Porur, Chennai, India .
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Langerhans cells (LCs), are dendritic cells of the epithelium which play a role in an array of oral lesions from gingivitis to oral cancer. Oral Submucous Fibrosis (OSMF), a potentially malignant disorder (PMD), is an insidious chronic disease with juxta-epithelial inflammatory changes leading to fibrosis. Langerhans cells (LCs) may play a part in the ongoing inflammatory dysregulation of OSMF. OBJECTIVE: The study was aimed at elucidating the distribution of LCs in varying grades of OSMF. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective study using 39 cases of OSMF, graded using Haematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) stained section. Immunohistochemistry was performed using polyclonal anti- CD1a antibodies to identify LCs in 5 cases of normal tissue and 39 samples of OSMF. The distribution of LCs among the various grades and normal mucosa analysed using Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS: LC population in the OSMF was significantly higher when compared to the normal epithelium (p<0.001). Within the grades the advanced stage had more LCs than the other stages. CONCLUSION: The increase in LCs might indicate the role of antigenic exposure in turn leading to cell mediated immunity in OSMF. Thus the fibrosis in OSMF might have a direct link to LCs.
INTRODUCTION: Langerhans cells (LCs), are dendritic cells of the epithelium which play a role in an array of oral lesions from gingivitis to oral cancer. Oral Submucous Fibrosis (OSMF), a potentially malignant disorder (PMD), is an insidious chronic disease with juxta-epithelial inflammatory changes leading to fibrosis. Langerhans cells (LCs) may play a part in the ongoing inflammatory dysregulation of OSMF. OBJECTIVE: The study was aimed at elucidating the distribution of LCs in varying grades of OSMF. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective study using 39 cases of OSMF, graded using Haematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) stained section. Immunohistochemistry was performed using polyclonal anti- CD1a antibodies to identify LCs in 5 cases of normal tissue and 39 samples of OSMF. The distribution of LCs among the various grades and normal mucosa analysed using Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS: LC population in the OSMF was significantly higher when compared to the normal epithelium (p<0.001). Within the grades the advanced stage had more LCs than the other stages. CONCLUSION: The increase in LCs might indicate the role of antigenic exposure in turn leading to cell mediated immunity in OSMF. Thus the fibrosis in OSMF might have a direct link to LCs.