Detection of hyaluronic acid receptor in human vocal folds by immunohistochemistry.
Hyaluronic acid receptor is a glycoprotein of the plasmatic membrane, and the CD44 is its representative, expressed in many cell types where it has the task of cell adhesion.


OBJECTIVE
the goal of the present experimental study is to investigate the possibility of using immunohistochemistry to identify the distribution of hyaluronic acid along the vocal fold.


METHODS
We resected the normal vocal folds from a normal 23 year-old male black individual. The slides were analyzed by means of a histomorphometric study, comparing the color intensity in the superficial, middle and deep layers of the lamina propria. In the silanized slides we used immunohistochemistry, and evaluated the slides under light microscopy with 40x magnification, and the color changed to brown when there was a reaction with the receptor for hyaluronic acid.


RESULTS
Immunohistochemical findings showed the presence of hyaluronic acid receptors in the epithelium covering the vocal fold, being more concentrated in the central region of the vocal fold.


CONCLUSIONS
immunohistochemistry, used to assess the distribution of hyaluronic acid receptors in the central portion of the vocal fold, proved it to be present in the vocal fold epithelium and it prevailed in its middle third.
ENT Department UNIFESP-EPM, São Paulo, Brazil.
Luiz Henrique Fonseca
LH
Barbosa
Hugo Valter Lisboa
HV
Ramos
Luciano Rodrigues
LR
Neves
Noemi Grigoletto de
NG
Biase
Celina
C
Oshima
José Eduardo de Sá
JE
Pedroso
Paulo Augusto de Lima
PA
Pontes
D000328:Adult; D000423:Alcian Blue; D044383:Black People; D002102:Cadaver; D004396:Coloring Agents; D006801:Humans; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000032:analysis*; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D014827:Vocal Cords / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000166:cytology; D044465:White People
D004396:Coloring Agents; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid; D000423:Alcian Blue