EPITHELIAL CLASS-II MHC ANTIGEN NORMALLY EXPRESSED BY SUBMANDIBULAR GLANDS OF ELDERLY PEOPLE

Immunohistochemical studies were made on 81 submandibular glands obtai ned from over 60-year-old autopsy cases. Those patients who had had ei ther sialolithiasis or autoimmune diseases were not included in this s tudy. HLA-DR expression was observed in the great majority (95.1%) of the aged submandibular glands, especially on the serous acinar cells a nd the intercalated duct cells, regardless of the appearance of focal lymphocytic infiltration. The incidence of HLA-DP expression was sligh tly lower (85.2%) and HLA-DQ was much lower (42.0%) than that of HLA-D R. These data support the proposal that epithelial expression of class II antigens in aged glands is a focal sign of age-related immunologic al disorders.