title: Loss of Aβ-nerve endings associated with the Merkel cell-neurite complex in the lesional oral mucosa epithelium of lichen planus and hyperkeratosis.
abstract: The Merkel cell-neurite complex initiates the perception of touch and mediates Aβ slowly adapting type I responses. Lichen planus is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease with T-cell-mediated inflammation, whereas hyperkeratosis is characterized with or without epithelial dysplasia in the oral mucosa. To determine the effects of lichen planus and hyperkeratosis on the Merkel cell-neurite complex, healthy oral mucosal epithelium and lesional oral mucosal epithelium of lichen planus and hyperkeratosis patients were stained by immunohistochemistry (the avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex and double immunofluorescence methods) using pan cytokeratin, cytokeratin 20 (K20, a Merkel cell marker), and neurofilament 200 (NF200, a myelinated Aβ- and Aδ-nerve fibre marker) antibodies. NF200-immunoreactive (ir) nerve fibres in healthy tissues and in the lesional oral mucosa epithelium of lichen planus and hyperkeratosis were counted and statistically analysed. In the healthy oral mucosa, K20-positive Merkel cells with and without close association to the intraepithelial NF200-ir nerve fibres were detected. In the lesional oral mucosa of lichen planus and hyperkeratosis patients, extremely rare NF200-ir nerve fibres were detected only in the lamina propria. Compared with healthy tissues, lichen planus and hyperkeratosis tissues had significantly decreased numbers of NF200-ir nerve fibres in the oral mucosal epithelium. Lichen planus and hyperkeratosis were associated with the absence of Aβ-nerve endings in the oral mucosal epithelium. Thus, we conclude that mechanosensation mediated by the Merkel cell-neurite complex in the oral mucosal epithelium is impaired in lichen planus and hyperkeratosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, Dental School, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Daniela Calderón
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Carrión
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, Dental School, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.|Center for Biochemistry, Institute for Experimental Dental Research and Oral Musculoskeletal Biology, Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.|Department of Anatomy, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Yüksel
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Korkmaz
authors.affiliation: Center for Biochemistry, Institute for Experimental Dental Research and Oral Musculoskeletal Biology, Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Britta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, Dental School, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Marion
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kopp
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cellular Sport Medicine, German Sport University, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Wilhelm
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bloch
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Addicks
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, Dental School, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Wilhelm
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Niedermeier
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007633:Keratins / Q000378:metabolism; D007642:Keratosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D017676:Lichen Planus, Oral / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D018862:Merkel Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D009411:Nerve Endings / Q000378:metabolism*; D016501:Neurites / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D007633:Keratins