title: Ultrastructural and histochemical features of the ground substance in cyclosporin A-induced gingival overgrowth.
abstract: The overgrowth-affected gingiva of patients treated with cyclosporin A after kidney transplant was examined with ultrastructural and histochemical methods to evaluate the involvement of connective tissue. Gingival overgrowth has the same clinical signs as local edema. The ultrastructural study showed that the dimensional increase was largely due to increased production of amorphous ground substance by fibroblasts, possibly resulting from an increased release of histamine by mast cells. The histochemical data revealed that the affected tissues contained higher levels of glycosaminoglycans and that cyclosporin A induced comparably high levels of glycosaminoglycans in in vitro cultures of fibroblasts obtained from normal gingiva. The combination of ultrastructural and histochemical data, therefore, strongly suggests that the response of the connective tissue in gingival overgrowth cannot be ignored and may be the main cause of the observed pathological condition.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Human Anatomy, University of Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mariani
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Calastrini
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Carinci
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bergamini
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Calastrini
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Stabellini
mesh_terms: D000423:Alcian Blue; D002196:Capillaries / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002809:Chondroitin Sulfates / Q000032:analysis; D004396:Coloring Agents; D003238:Connective Tissue / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003871:Dermatan Sulfate / Q000032:analysis; D004487:Edema / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology; D004848:Epithelium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005881:Gingiva / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005885:Gingival Hyperplasia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology*; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans / Q000032:analysis; D006493:Heparin / Q000032:analysis; D006497:Heparan Sulfate / Q000032:analysis; D006636:Histamine Release; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007632:Keratan Sulfate / Q000032:analysis; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D045725:Tetrapyrroles
chemical_list: D000423:Alcian Blue; D002809:Chondroitin Sulfates; D004396:Coloring Agents; D016572:Cyclosporine; D003871:Dermatan Sulfate; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans; D006493:Heparin; D006497:Heparan Sulfate; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D007632:Keratan Sulfate; D045725:Tetrapyrroles; C030318:Alcian Yellow