title: BPI-fold (BPIF) containing/plunc protein expression in human fetal major and minor salivary glands.
abstract: The aim of this study was to determine expression, not previously described, of PLUNC (palate, lung, and nasal epithelium clone) (BPI-fold containing) proteins in major and minor salivary glands from very early fetal tissue to the end of the second trimester and thus gain further insight into the function of these proteins. Early fetal heads, and major and minor salivary glands were collected retrospectively and glands were classified according to morphodifferentiation stage. Expression of BPI-fold containing proteins was localized through immunohistochemistry. BPIFA2, the major BPI-fold containing protein in adult salivary glands, was detected only in the laryngeal pharynx; the lack of staining in salivary glands suggested salivary expression is either very late in development or is only in adult tissues. Early expression of BPIFA1 was seen in the trachea and nasal cavity with salivary gland expression only seen in late morphodifferentiation stages. BPIFB1 was seen in early neural tissue and at later stages in submandibular and sublingual glands. BPIFA1 is significantly expressed in early fetal oral tissue but BPIFB1 has extremely limited expression and the major salivary BPIF protein (BPIFA2) is not produced in fetal development. Further studies, with more sensitive techniques, will confirm the expression pattern and enable a better understanding of embryonic BPIF protein function.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Estadual de Campinas - Unicamp, Piracicaba Dental School, Department of Oral Diagnosis, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Daniel Berretta Moreira
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.affiliation: University of Sheffield, School of Clinical Dentistry, Academic Unit of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Sheffield, UK.
authors.forename: Lynne
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bingle
authors.affiliation: University of Sheffield, Medical School, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Academic Unit of Respiratory Medicine, Sheffield, UK.
authors.forename: Colin David
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Bingle
authors.affiliation: Universidade de São Paulo - USP, School of Dentistry, Department of General Pathology, São Paulo-SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Silvia Vanessa
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Lourenço
authors.affiliation: Universidade Estadual de Campinas - Unicamp, Piracicaba Dental School, Department of Oral Diagnosis, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Andréia Aparecida
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Universidade Estadual de Campinas - Unicamp, Piracicaba Dental School, Department of Oral Diagnosis, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Débora Lima
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: Universidade Estadual de Campinas - Unicamp, Piracicaba Dental School, Department of Oral Diagnosis, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Pablo Agustin
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Vargas
mesh_terms: D001324:Autoantigens / Q000032:analysis*; D004848:Epithelium / Q000737:chemistry; D050556:Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins; D047109:Fetal Development; D005333:Fetus / Q000737:chemistry*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000032:analysis*; D006257:Head / Q000196:embryology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009333:Neck / Q000196:embryology; D010159:Palate / Q000737:chemistry / Q000196:embryology; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000032:analysis*; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000196:embryology; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides / Q000032:analysis*; D013997:Time Factors; D014059:Tongue / Q000737:chemistry / Q000196:embryology
chemical_list: D001324:Autoantigens; C485599:BPIFA1 protein, human; C045623:BPIFA2 protein, human; C568077:BPIFB1 protein, human; D050556:Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins; D006023:Glycoproteins; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D011506:Proteins; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides