Do Langerhans cells behave similarly in elderly and younger patients with chronic periodontitis?
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to compare the number, the distribution and the expression of markers of maturation of Langerhans cells (LC) in elderly and younger patients with chronic periodontitis in order to evidence the effect of aging on LC in inflammatory gingival tissue.


METHODS
Gingival tissue specimens presenting chronic periodontitis from 8 elderly patients aged >75 (group E) and from 8 younger patients aged 50-60 (considered as controls, group C) were used for immunohistochemistry with monoclonal antibodies against CD45RB (leucocytes), CD1a (LC), markers of LC maturation (DC-LAMP, CD83) and number of immunolabelled cell subsets was evaluated using image analysis.


RESULTS
The difference in the number of CD45RB+ leucocytes in the upper connective tissue between groups was not significant. In group E, the number of CD1a+ LC was significantly decreased (P<0.002) in the epithelium and significantly increased (P<0.0004) in the upper connective tissue. Furthermore, in group E, intraepithelial CD1a+ LC are more often observed in the upper epithelium and their dendritic processes were shorter and less numerous. Concerning the expression of markers of maturation, the numbers of intraepithelial DC-LAMP+ cells and CD83+ cells were significantly increased (P<0.0007 and P<0.02, respectively) in group E.


CONCLUSIONS
During chronic periodontitis in elderly patients, the decrease in the number of intraepithelial LC and the alteration of dendritic processes could be balanced by a cellular distribution often observed in the upper epithelium associated with changes in cell maturation in response to bacterial elements.
Bodineau
Agnès
A
Laboratoire sur la Réparation et les Remodelages Oro-Faciaux (EA2496), Faculté de Chirurgie Dentaire, Université René Descartes - Paris 5, 1 rue Maurice Arnoux, 92120 Montrouge, France.
Coulomb
Bernard
B
Folliguet
Marysette
M
Igondjo-Tchen
Sylvie
S
Godeau
Gaston
G
Brousse
Nicole
N
Séguier
Sylvie
S
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005881:Gingiva / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007801:Langerhans Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000473:pathology*