Archives of oral biology
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Archives of oral biology · Jan 1984
Immunohistochemical characterization of the basement membranes of the human oral mucosa.
Type IV and V collagens, laminin and heparan sulphate proteoglycan were localized in vascular and subepithelial basement membranes. Fibronectin was distributed in a reticular pattern throughout the lamina propria under the oral epithelium. The uniform distribution of basement membrane components and type V collagen in different regions suggests a similar molecular composition for the basement membranes under functionally-different oral epithelia. ⋯ Occasional discontinuities in the subepithelial basement membranes were seen in inflamed gingival sulci and in tonsillar crypts. The destruction responsible affected all basement membrane components, except fibronectin, which maintained a reticular distribution even in the deep tonsillar tissue. The immunohistochemical method is useful in demonstrating different degrees of destruction in basement membranes associated with inflammation.