LOCALIZATION AND QUANTIFICATION OF TXB2 IN HUMAN HEALTHY AND INFLAMMATORY GINGIVAL MUCOSA

We conducted a study to localize and quantify the thromboxane B-2 (TXB 2) in human gingival tissue obtained from clinically healthy sites and patients with gingivitis and periodontitis. Human gingival samples we re assayed for TXB2 by immunofluorescence on slides and enzyme-immunoa ssay (EIA). We found that concentrations of TXB2 in gingivitis sites a re at mean 10-fold higher than in the healthy sites and histologically show a consistently intracytoplasmic staining with a significant incr ease in gingivitis. This argues in favour of a local production of TXB 2. Concentrations of TXB2 at periodontitis sites are only 3-fold highe r than in healthy sites and histologically show a stronger staining as for the gingivitis sections, with principally an extracellular locali zation. Thus, TXB2 could be released in large quantities in the crevic ular fluid when the periodontitis stage has reached. These data sugges t that the epithelial cells of the gingival tissue are involved in syn thesis and secretion of TXB2, which occurred during the development of gingival inflammation.