title: Altered expression of hyaluronan, HAS1-2, and HYAL1-2 in oral lichen planus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Oral lichen planus (OLP) is an immune-mediated mucosal disease of unclear etiology and of unresolved pathogenesis. Hyaluronan (HA) is an extracellular matrix glycosaminoglycan involved in inflammation and tumor progression. However, its presence in OLP has not been reported. We therefore aimed to study the immunohistochemical expression of HA, its receptor CD44, hyaluronan synthases (HAS1-3), and hyaluronidases (HYAL1-2) in OLP.
  
  
  METHODS
  The presence of HA, CD44, HAS1-3, and HYAL1-2 was studied by immunohistochemical methods in 55 OLP and 23 control oral mucosal specimens (CTR). The localization, intensity, and differences of the epithelial expression between OLP and CTRs were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HA and CD44 were found on cell membranes in the epithelial basal and intermediate layers in CTR and OLP specimens. The HA staining intensity was stronger in the basal layer of the epithelium in OLP than in CTRs (P < 0.001). HAS1 (P = 0.001) and HAS2 (P < 0.001) showed stronger staining in the basal and weaker staining in the superficial (P < 0.001) epithelial layers in OLP than in CTRs. The immunostaining of HAS3 was low in both OLP and CTRs. Positive HYAL1 and HYAL2 staining were mainly found in the basal and intermediate epithelial layers, and their intensities were significantly increased in OLP, except HYAL 2 in the intermediate epithelial layer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HA, HAS1-2, and HYAL1-2 have altered expression in OLP compared to CTRs and may therefore have a role in OLP pathogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostics and Oral Medicine, Institute of Dentistry, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.|Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Siponen
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostics and Oral Medicine, Institute of Dentistry, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.|Educational Dental Clinic, Health Center of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: Arja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kullaa
authors.affiliation: Medical Informatics and Statistics Research Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: Pentti
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nieminen
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostics and Oral Medicine, Institute of Dentistry, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.|Medical Research Center, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland.|Institute of Dentistry, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.|Graduate Program in Estomatopatologia, Piracicaba Dental School, University of Campinas, Piracicaba-São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Tuula
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Salo
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedicine, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Sanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pasonen-Seppänen
mesh_terms: D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D058851:GPI-Linked Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D014453:Glucuronosyltransferase / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000378:metabolism; D000076002:Hyaluronan Synthases; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D006821:Hyaluronoglucosaminidase / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007249:Inflammation; D017676:Lichen Planus, Oral / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D009061:Mouth Mucosa
chemical_list: C497483:CD44 protein, human; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D058851:GPI-Linked Proteins; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid; D014453:Glucuronosyltransferase; C523794:HAS1 protein, human; C101754:HAS2 protein, human; C105458:HAS3 protein, human; D000076002:Hyaluronan Synthases; C473096:Hyal2 protein, human; D006821:Hyaluronoglucosaminidase
keywords: CD44; HAS; HYAL; hyaluronan; oral lichen planus; tacrolimus