title: Quantification of tryptase-TIM-3 double-positive mast cells in human chronic periodontitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Mast cells (MCs) are implicated in the pathogenesis of allergic reactions and inflammatory conditions through the release of inflammatory mediators. So far limited attention has been given to the role of MCs in periodontitis. T cell immunoglobulin mucin domain (TIM)-3 is an immunomodulatory molecule and influences MC function. However, whether TIM-3 is expressed on MCs in the process of human periodontal disease has not been reported. Therefore, we identified MCs by toluidine blue staining and examined the expression of TIM-3 on tryptase-positive MCs in different severities of human chronic periodontitis using double-immunofluorescence staining in this study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 83 human periodontal specimens were involved in this study, including healthy control tissues (n=25), chronic moderate periodontitis (n=28), and chronic severe periodontitis (n=30). The gingival specimens were fixed in 10% buffered formalin, stained with haematoxylin and eosin for histopathology, with toluidine blue for MCs, and with double-immunofluorescence for identification of tryptase-TIM-3 double-positive MCs in gingival tissues.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with healthy controls, the score of gingival tissue inflammation was significantly increased in the chronic moderate periodontitis (P=0.013) and chronic severe periodontitis (P<0.0001), and the densities (cells/mm(2)) of tryptase-TIM-3 double-positive MCs were significantly increased in both the chronic moderate (P=0.011) and severe periodontitis groups (P<0.0001). However, compared with the chronic moderate periodontitis group, both the score of gingival tissue inflammation (P=0.012) and the density of tryptase-TIM-3 double-positive MCs (P=0.011) in gingival tissue were significantly increased in the severe periodontitis groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Significantly increased number of tryptase-TIM-3 double-positive MCs had the similar tendency as the severity of periodontitis inflammation in human chronic periodontitis. Our data suggest that TIM-3 may have a role on MCs in human chronic periodontitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontology, Faculty of Dentistry, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China. Electronic address: thshg@126.com.
authors.forename: Shiguang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China; Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control (Sun Yat-sen University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510080, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Fangli
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontology, Faculty of Dentistry, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontology, Faculty of Dentistry, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
authors.forename: Tian
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lan
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China; Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control (Sun Yat-sen University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510080, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontology, Faculty of Dentistry, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoping
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.affiliation: Department of Stomatology, Armed Police Corps Hospital of Guangdong, The Affiliated Armed Police Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510507, China. Electronic address: jinhua210@21cn.com.
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D001706:Biopsy; D055113:Chronic Periodontitis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D000072597:Hepatitis A Virus Cellular Receptor 2; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D014048:Tolonium Chloride; D053802:Tryptases / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C448908:HAVCR2 protein, human; D000072597:Hepatitis A Virus Cellular Receptor 2; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D014048:Tolonium Chloride; D053802:Tryptases
keywords: Mast cell; Periodontitis; TIM-3; Tryptase