title: Mapping dynamic epithelial cell proliferative activity within the oral cavity of man: a new insight into carcinogenesis?
abstract: Our aim was to characterize epithelial cell proliferative activity within the oral cavity and to find out if there were differences between sites with high and low incidence of cancer. A total of 105 samples of clinically normal mucosa were harvested from various intra-oral sites. Excised specimens were incubated in vitro with tritiated thymidine and bromodeoxyuridine to 'double label' cells undergoing DNA synthesis, and enable calculation of the duration of S phase and estimation of variables of cell flux to and from S. Mean labelling indices (percentage of cells within the S phase of the cell cycle) were highest in the floor of mouth (12.3%) and ventral tongue (10.1%), while activity was lowest in the dorsum of tongue (4.3%) and the palate (7.2%), P<0.001. In general, both cell influx and the duration of S increased proportionally to the labelling index. Sites with a high incidence of cancer were characterized by high labelling indices, increased cell influx and a prolonged S phase.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, The Dental School, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Thomson
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Potten
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Appleton
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002455:Cell Division; D003584:Cytological Techniques / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D006801:Humans; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000166:cytology*; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology*; D012016:Reference Values