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. 1998 Dec;114(3):485-90.
doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2249.1998.00705.x.

Modes of epithelial cell death and repair in Sjögren's syndrome (SS)

M Polihronis  1 , N I Tapinos, S E Theocharis, A Economou, C Kittas, H M Moutsopoulos
Affiliations

Modes of epithelial cell death and repair in Sjögren's syndrome (SS)

M Polihronis et al. Clin Exp Immunol. 1998 Dec.

Abstract

We evaluated possible modes of epithelial cell destruction and restoration in minor salivary gland biopsies from patients with SS. Minor salivary gland biopsies from 10 primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) patients and eight control individuals were evaluated by immunohistochemical staining for the expression of apoptosis-related molecules, substances released by activated cytotoxic T cells, as well as proteins involved in epithelial cell repair. The results were analysed by computer screen analysis and they were expressed as average percentages. Apoptosis-promoting molecules, Fas antigen and Fas ligand were observed in ductal and acinar epithelial cells as well as in infiltrating mononuclear cells of minor salivary glands from SS patients in comparison with control biopsies. Bax protein, which acts as a death-promoter message, was expressed in the ductal and acinar epithelial cells and in mononuclear infiltrating cells of SS patients compared with control individuals, while Bcl-2, an inhibitor of apoptosis, was primarily found in the lymphocytic infiltrates. In situ DNA fragmentation assay (TUNEL) revealed that epithelial cells were apoptotic in patients with SS compared with control subjects. Immunohistochemical staining for perforin and granzyme B, released from granules of activated cytotoxic lymphocytes, revealed their presence in lymphocytic infiltrates of patients with SS compared with control biopsies. pS2, a member of the trefoil protein family which functions as promoter of epithelial cell repair and cell proliferation, was expressed in epithelial cells in biopsies from SS patients. These studies suggest that the functional epithelium of minor salivary glands in patients with SS appears to be influenced by both intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms of destruction, while a defensive mechanism of epithelial restoration seems to be active.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Immunohistochemical detection of Bax and Bcl-2 in minor salivary gland (MSG) biopsies from patients with SS (a,c) and control individuals (b,d). Positive cells stained brown using immunoperoxidase staining, haematoxylin was used as a counterstain on paraffin-embedded tissue sections. (Mag., a,b,d, ×400; c, ×200.)
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Localization of perforin, Granzyme B and pS2 in minor salivary gland (MSG) biopsies from patients with SS (a,c,e respectively). (a) Mononuclear infiltrating cells stained red with APAAP using anti-human perforin MoAb on a cryostat section with haematoxylin as a counterstain. (c) Granzyme B localization in mononuclear cells on a paraffin-embedded MSG biopsy with immunoperoxidase staining. (e) pS2 localization on acinar and ductal epithelial cells by immunoperoxidase staining. (f) MSG biopsy from a control individual stained with anti-human pS2 MoAb. Control immunostainings on sections from SS patients using irrelevant primary antibodies were also performed (b,d). (Mag. ×200.)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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