Distribution of fibronectin in healthy, inflamed and drug-induced gingival hyperplasia.

The distribution of fibronectin (FN) in the healthy, inflamed and hyperplastic human gingiva was investigated by indirect immunofluorescence. FN appeared as a fibrillar structure in the lamina propria of the healthy gingivae. In the inflamed specimens, FN demonstrated parallel fibres, especially in the coronal areas of the tissue. In the phenytoin gingival overgrowth, tissue FN was observed as thin fibres with variable length. The thin fibres gave the appearance of penetrating the basement membrane of the epithelium. Cyclosporin A gingival enlargement could be differentiated by phenytoin lesions because of the higher length and the parallel distribution of the FN. Finally, FN was observed in the nifedipine gingival overgrowth, where a microfibrillar delicate network gave the appearance of a "cloud"-pattern of distribution. In all of the specimens, blood vessels and nerves could not be stained. These findings show that FN distribution could differentiate the structure of the gingival lesions.