The aim of the present study was to evaluate cell proliferation, assessed b
y MIB 1, with respect to the type and the distribution of proliferating cel
ls in the healthy juxtaradicular periodontal ligament (PDL) from completely
formed human teeth. Immunohistochemical markers against vimentin, CD68 and
S-100 were used to characterize cell type. The applicability of the immuno
histochemical method on explants of human PDL was also evaluated. The resul
ts indicated that under physiological conditions, the majority of the proli
ferating cells in the PDL were mesenchymal cells predominantly located para
vascularly in the middle third of the PDL. Furthermore, MIB 1 reacting with
the Ki-67 antigen together with the avidin-biotin-complex technique was pr
oved to be an efficient marker of cell proliferation in explants of human P
DL.