title: Idiopathic gingival hypertrophy--a morphological study and a review of literature.
abstract: Gingival overgrowth occurs as a response to several drugs, in some systemic diseases, as a consequence of a genetic predisposition or could be idiopathic, the last being less studied. Independently of the etiological factor involved, histological changes are maintained and intensified by the presence of the bacterial plaque.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fibrotic mucosa clinically diagnosed with idiopathic hypertrophy was included in paraffin and studied using usual histological stains and immunohistochemical techniques for vimentin, MMP-3 and TIMP-2.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Evaluation of histological changes revealed an unspecific pattern like the thickening of the epithelium, with acanthosis and acantholysis and massive deposition of connective tissue in the lamina propria. Keratinocytes from the areas with acantholysis express MMP-3. In the fibrous areas we noted few fibroblasts and a discrete expression of MMP-3. Extended areas of inflammatory tissue with numerous de novo capillaries were observed among the collagen bundles. Proinflammatory and endothelial cells expressed both MMP-3 and TIMP-2. The last antibody had an intense expression deeper in the epithelium. Our results were discussed in accordance with reference data.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that the histological changes observed were not specific for the idiopathic gingival hypertrophy and the imbalance of tissue homeostasis was due to the interaction between keratinocytes and connective cells in the milieu of specific changes induced by the inflammatory conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Craiova.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baniţă
authors.forename: Cătălina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pisoschi
authors.forename: Camelia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stănciulescu
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scrieciu
authors.forename: Mihaela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tuculină
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mercuţ
authors.forename: Irina-Draga
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Căruntu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D003238:Connective Tissue / Q000378:metabolism; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D005886:Gingival Hypertrophy / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D019278:Matrix Metalloproteinase 3 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008875:Middle Aged; D019716:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D019717:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-3 / Q000378:metabolism; D014746:Vimentin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D016207:Cytokines; D019717:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-3; D014746:Vimentin; D019716:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-2; D019278:Matrix Metalloproteinase 3; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2