Periodontitis y liquen oralEstudio histopatológico e inmunohistoquímico comparativo

Abstract

We studied 48 biopsies from the oral mucosa with histological and immunohistochemically techniques. The diagnosis of "reticular oral lichen" was assessed in 12 cases; while 12 cases were diagnosed as "atrophic-erosive lichens" , 10 more cases were diagnosed as "adult chronic periodontitis" and the last 14 as "rapidly progressive periodontitis". Our founding showed a predominance of T4 lymphocytes in the inflammatory infiltrate at the corion level. T4 lymphocites were also the most frequent inflamatory cell of the epithelium in liquen cases, while T1 1 limphocytes prevailed in periodontitis. Moreover we had found an increassed ratio of NK (Natural Killer) cells, as well as B lymphocytes in the pockets observed on patients suffering rapidly progressive periodontitis. B lymphocytes and plasmatic cells were also observed in all samples, being specially remarkable in rapidly progressive periodontitis. Eosinophil leukocytes are rather uncommon, with the exception of atrophic erosive lichens. Another remarkable feature in lichen lesions is the relative abundance of Langerhans cells. These latter cells appear in periodontitis at the pocket epithelial level instead of the oral level. Our data support the important role of immunoregulation in periodontitis and lichen. We describe specific morphological features that might provide usefull information for the diagnosis and prognosis of this group of patients.