Jaroslav Valach1, René Foltán1, Marek Vlk1, Pavol Szabo2,3,4, Karel Smetana2,4. 1. Department of Dental Medicine, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic. 2. Institute of Anatomy, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic. 3. Department of Biomedical Research, East-Slovak Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Košice, Slovakia. 4. BIOCEV, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Vestec, Czech Republic.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Knowledge of the phenotypic pattern of oral squamous epithelium is important in the histopathologic evaluation of lesions including cancer. The literature on normal epithelium is controversial as the phenotype has not been evaluated in samples from completely healthy tissue donors without a history of tobacco and alcohol exposure. METHODS: In this study, we evaluated normal upper lip fornix and gingival mucosa from carefully selected young healthy donors without a history of smoking and alcohol exposure, and keratin types 8, 10, 14, and 17, filaggrin, and Ki67 were investigated in these donors. The results were compared with profile of epithelium from leukoplakia. RESULTS: The results demonstrated that the phenotypic patterns of gingiva and upper lip fornix mucosa were different. Surprisingly, a high proportion of gingival samples exhibited keratin 8 and a suprabasal signal for keratin 14. These patterns were compared with that of human oral leukoplakia, and some phenotypic similarities were noted. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrated oral epithelium phenotypic plasticity based on functional requirements of the microenvironment, which can be used in diagnosis.
BACKGROUND: Knowledge of the phenotypic pattern of oral squamous epithelium is important in the histopathologic evaluation of lesions including cancer. The literature on normal epithelium is controversial as the phenotype has not been evaluated in samples from completely healthy tissue donors without a history of tobacco and alcohol exposure. METHODS: In this study, we evaluated normal upper lip fornix and gingival mucosa from carefully selected young healthy donors without a history of smoking and alcohol exposure, and keratin types 8, 10, 14, and 17, filaggrin, and Ki67 were investigated in these donors. The results were compared with profile of epithelium from leukoplakia. RESULTS: The results demonstrated that the phenotypic patterns of gingiva and upper lip fornix mucosa were different. Surprisingly, a high proportion of gingival samples exhibited keratin 8 and a suprabasal signal for keratin 14. These patterns were compared with that of humanoral leukoplakia, and some phenotypic similarities were noted. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrated oral epithelium phenotypic plasticity based on functional requirements of the microenvironment, which can be used in diagnosis.