Resumen de Immunolocalization of Lactoferrin in Healthy and Inflamed Gingival Tissues

Jörg Eberhard, Zacharias Drosos, Markus Tiemann, Soren Jepsen, Jens M. Schröder

• Background: It has been reported that lactoferrin prevents biofilm formation and exerts antimicrobial activity. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the cellular source of lactoferrin in healthy and inflamed gingiva.

  Methods: Lactoferrin synthesis was examined in relation to disease manifestation in biopsies of the marginal gingiva by immunohistochemistry. The expression of lactoferrin in cell cultures was studied by immunocytochemistry and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

  Results: Healthy gingiva demonstrated no immunoreactivity to lactoferrin in epithelial and connective tissue cells. In inflamed specimens, lactoferrin staining was related to inflammatory cells. These results were confirmed by cell cultures of keratinocytes that did not show any immunoreactivity against lactoferrin. No mRNA message for lactoferrin was detected by RT-PCR in keratinocytes.

  Conclusions: These data provide evidence that lactoferrin is not synthesized in healthy gingival tissues. Therefore, elevated lactoferrin levels in the crevicular fluid of inflamed tissues originate from invading cells of the inflammatory reaction.