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Quantitative electron microscopic analysis of the stratified epithelium of normal human buccal mucosa

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Summary

The epithelium of normal human buccal mucosa was subjected to stereologic analysis. Ten biopsies were selected from a total of 20 specimens collected from 10 to 15 year old females, and processed for lightand electron microscopy. At two levels of magnification, electron micrographs were sampled from four strata in epithelial ridges and from three strata in regions over connective tissue papillae. Stereologic point counting based on a recently improved system for analyzing stratified epithelia was employed to analyze a total of 1820 electron micrographs. Buccal epithelium was found to be 0.48 mm thick, interdigitated by long, slender connective tissue papillae, and comprised of a narrow basal and suprabasal, and a broad, homogeneously structured spinous and surface compartment. From basal to surface layers, the epithelium displayed a differentiation pattern different from that of keratinizing epithelia. This pattern was a function mainly of a drastic density increase of cytoplasmic filaments of a constant 80 Å diameter, a corresponding decrease of the cytoplasmic ground substance, the appearance of dark-cored membrane coating granules and individually varying amounts of glycogen deposition. It is suggested that the dense meshwork of filaments which fill 70% of the epithelial cytoplasm in a broad subsurface and surface layer, serves as the functional matrix for epithelial distensibility.

Zusammenfassung

Das Epithel der normalen menschlichen Wangenschleimhaut wurde einer stereologischen Analyse unterworfen. 20 Biopsien aus 10–15 Jahre alten, gesunden Mädchen wurden für lichtund elektronenmikroskopische Studien verarbeitet. Aus 10 zufällig gewählten Biopsien wurden auf zwei Vergrößerungsstufen Stichproben elektronenmikroskopischer Bilder a) aus 4 Schichten im Bereich epithelialer Leisten und b) aus 3 Schichten im Epithel über Bindegewebspapillen entnommen. Insgesamt wurden 1820 Bilder mit Hilfe stereologischer Punktzählverfahren analysiert. Das Wangenepithel war im Durchschnitt 0,48 mm dick; es wurde von langen, schmalen Bindegewebspapillen durchzogen und umfaßte ein schmales, basales und suprabasales, sowie ein breites, homogen strukturiertes Oberflächenkompartment, gebildet aus dem Stratum spinosum und den Oberflächenschichten. Die vom Stratum basale gegen die Oberfläche fallenden oder steigenden Strukturgradienten ergaben ein epitheliales Differenzierungsmuster, das völlig verschieden von dem keratinisierender Epithelien ist. Dieses Muster wurde zur Hauptsache durch einen sehr starken Anstieg der Dichte der Filamente, die einen konstanten Durchmesser von 80 Å aufwiesen, durch einen entsprechenden Abfall der Volumendichte der zytoplasmatischen Grundsubstanz, durch das Auftreten von membranversteifenden Granula und durch individuell verschieden starke Glykogenablagerungen hervorgerufen. Es ist möglich, daß das dichte, filamentöse Maschenwerk, welches 70% des epithelialen Zytoplasma innerhalb einer breiten, oberflächlichen Epithelschicht füllt, als funktionelle Matrix für die Dehnbarkeit des Wangenepithels dient.

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Author notes

  1. Merwyn A. Landay

    Present address: University of Louisville, School of Dentistry, 40201, Louisville, Kentucky, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Oral Structural Biology, Dental Institute, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland

    Merwyn A. Landay &  Hubert E. Schroeder

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  1. Merwyn A. Landay
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  2. Hubert E. Schroeder
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This investigation was performed while Dr. Landay was on leave from the Department of Periodontology, Temple University, School of Dentistry.

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Landay, M.A., Schroeder, H.E. Quantitative electron microscopic analysis of the stratified epithelium of normal human buccal mucosa. Cell Tissue Res. 177, 383–405 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00220313

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