title: Regional variations of cell surface carbohydrates in human oral stratified epithelium.
abstract: The distribution of blood group carbohydrate chains with antigen A, B, H type 2 chain (A and B precursor), and N-acetyllactosamine (H type 2 precursor) specificity was studied in human oral epithelium from different anatomical regions. These represented various epithelial differentiation patterns such as non-keratinized, parakeratinized, and orthokeratinized stratified squamous epithelium. The material included buccal and palatal epithelium from 20 persons with blood group A or O, gingival, and alveolar epithelium from 10 persons with blood group A or B, and buccal metaplastically keratinized epithelium from nine blood group A, two blood group B, and nine blood group O individuals. The blood group carbohydrate chains were examined in tissue sections by immunofluorescence microscopy. The A and B blood group antigens were detected by human blood group sera, and antigen H type 2 chains and N-acetyllactosamine by murine monoclonal antibodies. Each antigen showed a similar staining pattern in buccal and alveolar epithelium (non-keratinized) which differed considerably from that seen in palatal and gingival epithelium (ortho- and parakeratinized). The expression of blood group antigens A or B and the precursor antigen H type 2 chains in metaplastically keratinized buccal epithelium was found to differ significantly from that seen in normal non-keratinized buccal epithelium. The regional variations demonstrated in cell surface carbohydrates are suggested to reflect differences in tissue differentiation.
mesh_terms: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System / Q000276:immunology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D050260:Carbohydrate Metabolism; D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000276:immunology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D004848:Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D007633:Keratins / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System; D002241:Carbohydrates; D007633:Keratins