[Aging in human gingival fibroblasts in cell culture. A contribution to the understanding of proliferating inflammations].

Proliferation of gingival fibroblasts was studied in cell cultures under controlled conditions. Biopsies taken from 12 patients of different ages were analyzed in regard to the length of the generation cycle and the ability to produce subcultures. Cultures from elderly individuals showed progressive, longer generation cycles than cultures from younger patients. The ability of the gingival cultures from elderly patients to produce subcultures is considerably less than those from young individuals. Apparently gingival fibroblasts are subject to aging processes in the patient himself and in the cell population within the cell culture. The growth characteristics differed depending on the location on the gingiva; the interdental papilla grow better cultures than do free and attached gingiva.