LOCALIZATION OF CHONDROITIN SULFATE AND DERMATAN SULFATE IN HUMAN DENTAL PULPS - AN IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL STUDY

The distribution of dermatan sulphate and chondroitin sulphate in huma n dental pulps has been assessed using monoclonal antibodies and immun operoxidase localization techniques. The pulpal tissues were reacted w ith specific antibodies following pretreatment of the sections with ch ondroitinase ACII or chondroitinase ABC. Both the 4- and 6-sulphated i somers of chondroitin sulphate were detected in the tissues studied. V ery little dermatan sulphate could be detected. These glycosaminoglyca ns appeared throughout the pulpal connective tissues with a particular ly strong localization to the region adjacent to the odontoblastic and predentine layers. Such distribution strongly implicates chondroitin sulphate in the mineralization process of human dentine.