Differential reactivity of anti‐E‐selectin monoclonal antibodies in human gingival tissue

摘要

E‐selectin is a cytokine‐inducible endothelial glycoprotein which participates in the binding of leukocytes to vascular endothelium. Variable levels of expression of E‐selectin have been reported in gingivitis and periodontitis, and two differing concepts of its significance have emerged: either gingival blood vessels express E‐selectin constitutively, or are continuously activated by inflammatory mediators arising from the gingival environment. A range of monoclonal antibodies reacting with different epitopes of E‐selectin are available commercially. The present study explored the possibility that the choice of antibody could affect estimation of the level of expression of E‐selectinin vivo.Five monoclonal antibodies were used to investigate E‐selectin expression in serial cryosections of human gingival tissue. While E‐selectin‐positive vascular endothelial cells were detected with all antibodies, the number of positively staining endothelial cells varied, with BBAl>H4/18 = H18/7=4D10>1.2B6. The frequency of strong staining in tissue specimens was BBAl>4D10>H4/18=H18/7>1.2B6, while the frequency of weak staining showed the reverse trend. Additionally, with antibodies HI8/7 and 1.2B6, 17 and 36 of the specimens were E‐selectin negative. The occurrence of what appear to be false positives and false negatives confounds estimation of the level of E‐selectin expression. Based on these findings, patterns of endothelial E‐selectin expression in gingivitis and periodontitis