Aim: The objective of this study was to determine the tissue distribution of beta 1 integrin chains in sound human dental pulps and to compare the findings with connective tissue compartments of other organs and to pulp tissue in teeth extracted due to periodontal disease.
Methodology: Freshly frozen pulp tissue samples from teeth extracted for orthodontic reasons were examined and compared to samples from teeth extracted due to chronic (marginal) periodontitis. beta 1 integrin chains were determined using an indirect-immunoperoxidase technique. Seven monoclonal antibodies recognizing alpha 1, alpha 2, alpha 3, alpha 4, alpha 5, alpha 6 and beta 1 chains of Very Late Activation Antigen (VLA) integrins were used for this purpose.
Results: VLA-1, VLA-2, VLA-3 and VLA-5 were expressed by vascular endothelium and vascular smooth muscle in varying intensities in both groups. VLA-6 reactivity was observed in the basal surfaces of arterial, venous and capillary endothelia. Our results indicate that there was no significant difference in the expression of VLA integrins in sound pulp tissue when compared to the samples from chronic (marginal) periodontitis and the connective tissue compartments of other viscera.
Conclusion: The present findings suggest that human dental pulp tissue is not different from other connective tissue compartments in the body with respect to VLA integrin expression, and chronic marginal periodontitis does not affect pulp tissue to a histopathologically detectable extent.