Antigen Presenting Cells Distribution in Salivary Glands

ZAVALA, WALTHER DAVID; FOSCOLO,MABEL; CAVICCHIA, JUAN CARLOS

REVISTA DE LA FACULTAD DE ODONTOLOGIA. MENDOZA. ARGENTINA

CLAVES GRAF, Facultad de Odontología, Mendoza, Argentina

Lugar: Mendoza, Argentina; Año: 2009 vol. 3 p. 32 - 36

1667-4243

 Abstract: The antigen professional resenting cells (APC), as the Langerhans cells or interstitial dendritic cells of the connective tissue, are the most important antigen uptake cell of the immune system. In previous publications we have described structural and numerical changes of those cells in different epithelia of the digestive tract. The purpose of this research was to investigate the distributions of these immune cells in salivary glands including the mayor and minor glands of the oral mucosa. Material and methods: mayor and minor salivary glands from Wistar rats were used for this research. Samples were processed by optical and electronic microscopy, and immunohistochemistry. Our results show numerous dendritic cells in salivary ducts (with stratified epithelium) and the parenchyma  glands. Although we could not detect differences between the two analyzed components in both, the mayor or the minor glands, our findings indicate that these cells play an important roll in the immunological defences of the oral mucosa