PATHOLOGICAL-CHANGES OF OXYTALAN FIBERS IN THE HUMAN GINGIVA OF CHRONIC PERIODONTITIS

The gingiva samples were obtained from 40 patients with chronic period ontitis after flap operation and 20 cases having healthy gingiva after ectopic wisdom tooth extraction. We investigated the oxytalan fibers by light microscopy (LM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results demonstrated that unde r normal conditions numerous oxytalan fibers were widely and evenly di stributed throughout the periodontal tissues. There was marked degener ation of the oxytalan fibers in chronic periodontitis. The predominant features were disintegration, fragmentation or disappearance of the o xytalan fibers under the basement membrane. Around the blood vessels, the oxytalan fibers decreased in density with fragmentation of the fib ers and sometimes they disappeared almost completely. These results in dicated that degeneration and destruction of the oxytalan fibers were closely correlated with the chronic periodontitis process, leading to reduced functional occlusion of teeth.