title: Microstructure of the superficial epithelial cells of the human oral mucosa.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The apical cell membrane of the oral mucosa adjacent to the saliva interface is thrown into membrane folds, termed microplicae (MPL) with variation in morphology. The present study classifies morphological changes undergone by MPL into qualitative and quantitative categories.
  
  
  METHODS
  Oral mucosal specimens were obtained from 32 healthy patients. Half of each specimen was prepared routinely for light microscopy, and the other part for scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Different measurements of cell structure were presented: the density of MPL, the width and height of MPL, the width of furrows between two adjacent MPL and the distance of the centre of MPL. Morphometric measurements were obtained using a semiautomatic ImageJ analysis software (W Rasband, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Parallel and branching MPL was common observation in the area of lining mucosa and in the tongue between the filiform papillae. The density of MPL was higher in the cells of the buccal mucosa than in the cells of the tongue, 43.69 + 11.43% and 31.68 + 10.32%, respectively. The difference was significant (p < 0.001). The width of MPL was 0.16 µm in cells of the buccal mucosa and 0.12 µm in cells of the tongue.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings support the idea that MPL structure is a determining factor for the functionality of the oral epithelium since the values of the MPL were kept relatively stable. The role of MPL structure of the oral mucosal cells is discussed.
authors: Implantcenter , Espoo , Finland .
authors: Pekka
authors: P
authors: Asikainen
authors: Jopi J
authors: JJ
authors: Mikkonen
authors: Timo J
authors: TJ
authors: Ruotsalainen
authors: Arto P
authors: AP
authors: Koistinen
authors: Arja M
authors: AM
authors: Kullaa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D055815:Young Adult