Abstract

OBJECTIVES
Chronic ulcerative stomatitis is a condition characterized by chronic, painful oral ulcers, whose pathogenesis is unknown. Patients demonstrate specific IgG autoantibodies against ΔNp63α, an epithelial nuclear transcription factor. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of patient autoantibodies in the disease pathogenesis.
METHODS
Three-dimensional in vitro tissues consisting of a fully differentiated, multilayer epithelium that mimics its in vivo counterpart were incubated with serum from patients with chronic ulcerative stomatitis.
RESULTS
Our results show a subepithelial detachment of the epithelium at the basement membrane interface, mimicking the oral ulcerations that are seen clinically. Expression of basement membrane proteins Type IV collagen and laminin-5 was unaltered, whereas the expression of α6β4 integrins, hemidesmosome components that attach basal keratinocytes to the basement membrane, was reduced, as determined by immunohistochemistry.
CONCLUSION
These results give evidence that patient autoantibodies are pathogenic; and support an autoimmune pathogenesis in chronic ulcerative stomatitis.

Links

Publisher Full Text

Authors

Carlson MW, Garlick JA, Solomon LW

Institution

Research Administration, School of Dental Medicine, Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111, USA.

Source

Oral surgery, oral medicine, oral pathology, oral radiology, and endodontics 111:6 2011 Jun pg 742-8

MeSH

Autoantibodies
Basement Membrane
Biological Assay
Chronic Disease
Epithelium
Gingivitis, Necrotizing Ulcerative
Humans
Immunoglobulin G
Serum
Tissue Engineering
Transcription Factors
Tumor Suppressor Proteins

Pub Type(s)

In Vitro
Journal Article

Language

eng

PubMed ID

21459019