Phenotyping of immunocompetent cells in normal labial and palatal salivary glands and in non- autoimmune sialadenitis N, Vigneswaran\ K-P, Peters\ T, L, Diepgen\ C, Wahlich\ O, P, Hornstein^ and E, Haneke^ Departments of Dermatology. 'University of Eriangen-Nurnberg. and 'Ferdinand- Sauerbrucfi-Klinikurn. Elberfeld, Wuppertal, Germany Vigneswaran N, Petets K-P, Diepgen TL, Wahlich C, Hornstein OP, Haneke E; Phenotyping of itnmunocompetent cells in nortnal labial and palatal salivary glands and in non-autoinitnunc sailadenitis. J Oral Pathol Med 1991; 20; .337-44. Different types of inflatntnatory cells in healthy tnajor and tniinor salivary glands (SG), including those in labial and palatal non-autoimmune sialadenitis, were quantified itiitnunohistochetnically. Plastna cells, mainly IgA type predotninated in all SG types, with the smallest nutnber seen in the palatal glands. The nutnbers of cotntnon leukocyte antigen (CLA) reactive lytnphocytes were greater in tnajor SGs than in tniinor ones and were predotninantly UCHLl positive T cell type. Macrophages and neutrophils were absent in palatal glands, rarely present in labial ones and usually present in major SGs. Increases in the number of IgG and IgM plasma cells and lytnphocytes (CLA') which include both UCHLl * T and L26 ' B cell types, were found in non-autoimtnune labial and palatal sialadeni- tis, Theie was no significant correlation between the nutnber of the inflatntnatory eells and the degree of glandular atrophy in both labial and palatal non- autoitntnune sialadenitis. Increase in their nutnber represents a protective response of these glands in contrast to the infiatnmatory eells in major autoimtnune sialadenitis playing there a pathogenetie role. Key words: immunofiistocfiemistry: salivary gland; sialadenitis; labial, palatal. Otto P. Hornstein, Skin Hospital, University of Eriangen-Nuernberg, Hartmann Str. 14, D- 8520, Eriangen, Germany Accepted for publication ??? The incidence of chronic inflatntnatory changes in tninor salivary gland,s (SGs) is lower (10%) than that of subtnandi- bular (34%) and parotid (21%) glands (1). However, adenitis associated with various autoitnmune diseases like Sjo- gren's syndrotne, rheutnatoid arthritis and systetrtic lupus erytheniatosus does occur in both tninor and tnajor SGs without any significant differenees. A labial SG biopsy is therefore a well ac- cepted procedure for the diagnosis of Sjogren's syndrotne (2, 3). Moreover, due to the easy biopsy procedure and healing without significant scarritig, la- bial and palatal glands are favored sites for diagnostic biopsies cotnpared to other tninor SGs. On the other hand, atnong the minor SGs, the labial and palatal ones are tnore often affected by non-autoimtnune adenitis (I, 4). Previ- ous histotnorphotnetric studies in labial glands reported an incteased incidence of non-specific focal adenitis in elderly people (5, 6). Sialadenitis of either autoimmune or non-autoitnmune origin reveals initially a sitnilar histologic pattern of ductal and acinar dilatation with periductal ag- gregation of lymphocytes and plastna cells (1), The itntnunophenotypes of in- filtrating cells in autoitntnune sialadeni- tis have meanwhile been characterized qualitatively and quantitatively (7-10), whereas such studies in non-autoitn- tnune adenitis of tninor SGs are lacking, Furthennore, there exist no data avail- able regarding the plastna-/lytnphocytic population in healthy palatal glands. In recent years, an increasing nutnber of tnonoclonal antibodies becatne avail- able, which reliably can identify pheno- typic differenees of innatntnatory eells also in Ibnnalin fixed paraffin etnbed- ded tissue (11-15). In the present study, we analyzed the different types of itnmunocotnpetent cells in routinely processed tissues of healthy parotid, subtnandibular, labial and palatal SGs as well as of non-auto- itnmune labial and palatal sialadenitis in order to; 1) quantify the different types of lytnphoid and non-lytnphoid infiltrating cells in healthy tnajor, labial and palatal SGs and evaluate the signifi- cance of differences in their nutnber be- tween these SGs and 2) eharacterize qualitatively and quantitatively these cell populations in both labial and pala- tal non-autoimtnune sialadenitis of vari- ous degree and compate thetn with findings reported in sialadenitis of auto- itntnune origin. Material and methods A nutnber of 62 formalin fixed paraffin etnbedded biopsy specimens (men = 25, wotnen = 42, tnean age = 56,9+15.1 yr) of parotid (;/ = 5), subtnandibular (n = 5), labial (/i = 34) atid palatal (/i=18) SGs were examined. Labial SGs were either excised for diagnostic purpose or with tumor of the lip (Departtnent of Dertnatology), while the palatal SG bi- opsies were perfonned in upper denture wearing patients after their informed consent (Department of Prostheties, University Erlangen-Niirnberg). Mac- roscopically nortnal appearing tnajor SG tissues adjacent to localized tutnors or other SG lesions were obtaitied frotn the Departtnent of Pathology. Those SG specitnens suspected of being associ- ated with any type of autoimmune con- nective tissue disea,se were excluded from the study. Serial sections (5 |itn)