title: An immunohistochemical study of immunological phenomena in minor salivary glands in patients with Sjögren's syndrome.
abstract: Using different monoclonal antibodies, we performed an immunofluorescent technique on labial salivary glands in order to investigate the immunological phenomena involved in Sjögren's syndrome (SS). An aberrant expression of HLA-DR molecules was detected on cytoplasm of epithelial labial salivary cells in 9 out of 19 (47%) patients, with SS. No such expression was found in 8 patients without SS or in 3 normal controls. HLA-DQ molecules were demonstrated also in two out of ten SS patients without HLA-DR. A lymphocytic infiltration was not correlated with the expression of class II molecules. T cells bearing gamma delta receptors were not detected. The intracellular adhesion molecules (ICAM-1) and lymphocyte function associated antigen-1 (LFA-1) were not found on epithelial glandular salivary cells of patients and controls. In conclusion, these data suggested that the absence of ICAM-1 and LFA-1 in salivary cells and the absence of infiltrating T cells bearing gamma delta receptors exclude their immunopathogenetic role in SS; moreover, these data demonstrated that the aberrant expression of HLA class II molecules on epithelial salivary cells of patients with SS is not a phenomenon correlated with the lymphocytic infiltration.
mesh_terms: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000097:blood; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001706:Biopsy; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000032:analysis; D016169:Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1 / Q000032:analysis; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D006680:HLA Antigens; D016169:Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1