Aj. Mighell et al., HISTOCHEMICAL AND IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL LOCALIZATION OF ELASTIC SYSTEM FIBERS IN FOCAL REACTIVE OVERGROWTHS OF ORAL-MUCOSA, Journal of oral pathology & medicine, 26(4), 1997, pp. 153-158
Eight specimens each of the following groups were investigated: gingiv
al pyogenic granuloma, fibrous epulis, calcifying fibrous epulis, peri
pheral giant cell granuloma, giant cell fibroma (four gingival, four n
on-gingival), denture-irritation hyperplasia and fibroepithelial polyp
. These lesions have diverse histopathological appearances but the com
position of their connective tissue is poorly defined. The elastic sys
tem consists of a complex mixture of glycoproteins that in normal oral
mucosa form three differentially distributed fibre types; oxytalan, e
launin and elastic. The elastic system was investigated by Verhoeff's
haematoxylin stain, aldehyde fuchsin staining and an anti-elastin mono
clonal antibody. Elastin was identified in all fibroepithelial polyps
and denture-irritation hyperplasias, but in none of the other lesions.
In particular, this identified a distinct difference in the extracell
ular matrix between the giant cell fibroma and fibroepithelial polyp.
Many of the epulides included only oxytalan fibres, but the presence o
f oxytalan fibres did not follow any pattern within either a single le
sion group, or between different lesions. However, the presence of oxy
talan fibres in the absence of elastin does not necessarily support a
periodontal ligament origin for reactive epulides.