K. Yamada et al., Heterogeneity of expression of calponin and metallothionein in reactive myoepithelial/ductal basal cells of obstructive sialadenitis, ACT HIST CY, 33(4), 2000, pp. 287-294
The expression of calponin (CAL) and metallothionein (MT), markers of saliv
ary gland myoepithelial cells and ductal basal cells, respectively, were ev
aluated in normal submandibular (n=4) and sublingual glands (n=3) and obstr
uctive lesions of salivary glands (n=14) in humans. Immunoreactivity for CA
L was observed in the normal myoepithelium in normal glands and reactive my
oepithelium in the obstructive lesions. WIT immunoreactivity was seen in th
e ductal basal cells but not in the myoepithelium of normal glands. During
the degeneration of glandular cells in obstructive lesions, reactive myoepi
thelial cells expressed both the CAL and MT. The immunoreactivity for CAL a
nd MT, however, was seen in the reactive myoepithelial cells of the duct li
ke structures in the fibrotic glands during the late stages of obstructive
lesions. The results of the present study reasonably allowed us to suggest
that the reactive myoepithelial cells in obstructive salivary gland lesions
may demonstrate cellular characteristics of both the myoepithelial/ductal
basal cells of normal salivary glands with respect to phenotypic heterogene
ity of expression of CAL and MT.