IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF TISSUES REGENERATED FROM WITHIN PERIODONTAL DEFECTS TREATED WITH EXPANDED POLYTETRAFLUOROETHYLENE MEMBRANES

IMMUNOCYTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS WAS CARRIED out on samples of 5-, 6-, and 9-week old regenerated soft tissue taken from healing periodontal defe cts treated by guided tissue regeneration using expanded polytetrafluo rethylene (ePTFE) membranes. A panel of monoclonal and polyconal antib odies to cytokeratins, vimentin, and collagen was used to label cells and collagen types I, III, and IV. Epithelium was identified in 7 of t he 9 samples examined, in addition to mesenchymal cells staining posit ively for vimentin and co-distribution of collagen types I, III, and I V in all samples. Clinical observations indicated that exposure of the ePTFE membranes during healing was a frequent occurrence, and the pre sence and quantity of epithelium found within the healing defect benea th the membrane may be related to the extent to which this occurs.