The immunohistochemical analysis of vascular endothelial growth factors A and C and microvessel density in gingival tissues of systemic sclerosis patients: their possible effects on gingival inflammation

PubMedID: 18206400 Objective: In systemic sclerosis (SSC), certain abnormalities can occur in fibroblasts, endothelial cells, and immune system cells. Severe pathological changes such as visceral fibrosis and obliteration of the lumen of arteries may develop due to functional alterations of these cells. Because the vascular abnormality is a central mechanism of sclerosis, the aim of this study was to further investigate the impaired vascularity in the gingival tissues of SSC patients by means of immunohistochemistry using vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A), VEGF-C, and CD34 staining. Study design: Thirteen SSC patients and 11 systemically healthy controls who had moderate gingivitis were included in the study. Gingival biopsies were obtained from the interdental papilla, and VEGF-A, VEGF-C, and CD34 analyses were done by using immunohistochemical methods. Results: Patients with scleroderma had higher levels of inflammatory infiltrate (P = .041) and microvessel density (P = .003) in their gingival biopsy samples. In contrast, when compared with the controls, the expressions of VEGF-A and VEGF-C were significantly lower in scleroderma patients (P = .033 and P = .015, respectively). Conclusion: These findings may reflect the defective vascularity and the pronounced histological inflammation of the gingival tissues in systemic scleroderma and may provide a novel target for treatment methods for the gingival involvement in these patients. © 2008 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.