Geographic Tongue: assessment of Peripheral Nerve Status, Langerhans cell and HLA-DR Expression

Publication date: Available online 7 June 2017
Source:Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology and Oral Radiology
Author(s): M.R. Darling, N. Su, S. Masen, P. Kwon, D. Fortino, T.R. McKerlie, M. Grushka
ObjectivesThe objectives of this study were to determine whether geographic tongue is an antigen-driven condition by assessing Langerhans cell numbers, and HLA-DP, -DQ and -DR expression in the epithelium of geographic tongue cases, and to assess peripheral nerve status for any possible damage/injury association by quantifying neurite area in the connective tissue of geographic tongue cases.Study DesignRandomly selected cases of geographic tongue were examined using routine immunoperoxidase staining methods to S100 protein, Neurofilament, CD1a and HLA class II. Student’s t-tests and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to assess statistical significance.ResultsLangerhans cell numbers were increased in geographic tongue. HLA expression was also seen in Langerhans cells, inflammatory cells, and, in two cases of geographic tongue, in the spinous layer and parabasal epithelial cells. Total nerve tissue, based on area measurements, was not significantly different in geographic tongue and controls.ConclusionsThe increase in Langerhans cells suggests that geographic tongue is an antigen-driven condition, probably by an unknown external antigen. Peripheral nerve damage was not apparent, suggesting that this is not a mechanism whereby patients become symptomatic in geographic tongue.



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