title: Epithelial class II MHC antigen normally expressed by submandibular glands of elderly people.
abstract: Immunohistochemical studies were made on 81 submandibular glands obtained from over 60-year-old autopsy cases. Those patients who had had either sialolithiasis or autoimmune diseases were not included in this study. HLA-DR expression was observed in the great majority (95.1%) of the aged submandibular glands, especially on the serous acinar cells and the intercalated duct cells, regardless of the appearance of focal lymphocytic infiltration. The incidence of HLA-DP expression was slightly lower (85.2%) and HLA-DQ was much lower (42.0%) than that of HLA-DR. These data support the proposal that epithelial expression of class II antigens in aged glands is a focal sign of age-related immunological disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Japan.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kurashima
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Utsuyama
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hirokawa
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology*; D004848:Epithelium / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006681:HLA-D Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013363:Submandibular Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes
chemical_list: D006681:HLA-D Antigens