Schicht Martin, Reichle Adrian, Schapher Mirco, Garreis Fabian, Kleinsasser Benedikt, Aydin Malik, Sahin Afsun, Iro Heinrich, Paulsen Friedrich
Institute of Functional and Clinical Anatomy, Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany.
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, FAU Medical School, Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany.
Diagnostics (Basel). 2021 Dec 10;11(12):2330. doi: 10.3390/diagnostics11122330.
Mucin (MUC) 8 has been shown to play an important role in respiratory disease and inflammatory responses. In the present study, we investigated the question of whether MUC8 is also produced and secreted by salivary glands and whether it may also play a role in the oral cavity in the context of inflammatory processes or in the context of salivary stone formation. Tissue samples from parotid and submandibular glands of body donors ( = 6, age range 63-88 years), as well as surgically removed salivary stones from patients ( = 38, age range 48-72 years) with parotid and submandibular stone disease were immunohistochemically analyzed targeting MUC8 and TNFα. The presence of MUC8 in salivary stones was additionally analyzed by dot blot analyses. Moreover, saliva samples from patients ( = 10, age range 51-72 years), who had a salivary stone of the submandibular gland on one side were compared with saliva samples from the other "healthy" side, which did not have a salivary stone, by ELISA. Positive MUC8 was detectable in the inter- and intralobular excretory ducts of both glands (parotid and submandibular). The glandular acini showed no reactivity. TNFα revealed comparable reactivity to MUC8 in the glandular excretory ducts and also did not react in glandular acini. Salivary stones demonstrated a characteristic distribution pattern of MUC8 that differed between parotid and submandibular salivary stones. The mean MUC8 concentration was 71.06 ng/mL in female and 33.21 ng/mL in male subjects ( = 0.156). Saliva from the side with salivary calculi contained significantly (15-fold) higher MUC8 concentration levels than saliva from the healthy side ( = 0.0005). MUC8 concentration in salivary stones varied from 4.59 ng/mL to 202.83 ng/mL. In females, the MUC8 concentration in salivary stones was significantly (2.3-fold) higher, with an average of 82.84 ng/mL compared to 25.27 ng/mL in male patients ( = 0.034). MUC8 is secreted in the excretory duct system of salivary glands and released into saliva. Importantly, MUC8 salivary concentrations vary greatly between individuals. In addition, the MUC8 concentration is gender-dependent (♀ > ♂). In the context of salivary stone diseases, MUC8 is highly secreted in saliva. The findings support a role for MUC8 in the context of inflammatory events and salivary stone formation. The findings allow conclusions on a gender-dependent component of MUC8.
黏蛋白（MUC）8已被证明在呼吸系统疾病和炎症反应中发挥重要作用。在本研究中，我们调查了唾液腺是否也产生和分泌MUC8，以及它在炎症过程或唾液结石形成的背景下是否也在口腔中发挥作用。对6名身体捐献者（年龄范围63 - 88岁）的腮腺和下颌下腺组织样本，以及38名患有腮腺和下颌下腺结石病患者（年龄范围48 - 72岁）手术切除的唾液结石进行免疫组织化学分析，检测MUC8和肿瘤坏死因子α（TNFα）。通过斑点印迹分析额外检测唾液结石中MUC8的存在情况。此外，对10名一侧患有下颌下腺唾液结石患者（年龄范围51 - 72岁）的唾液样本与另一侧无唾液结石的“健康”侧唾液样本进行酶联免疫吸附测定（ELISA）比较。在腮腺和下颌下腺的小叶间和小叶内排泄管中均可检测到MUC8阳性。腺泡未显示反应性。TNFα在腺排泄管中的反应性与MUC8相当，在腺泡中也无反应。唾液结石显示出MUC8的特征性分布模式，腮腺和下颌下腺唾液结石之间存在差异。女性受试者中MUC8的平均浓度为71.06 ng/mL，男性为33.21 ng/mL（P = 0.156）。有唾液结石一侧的唾液中MUC8浓度水平显著高于健康侧（高15倍）（P = 0.0005）。唾液结石中MUC8浓度在4.59 ng/mL至202.83 ng/mL之间。女性唾液结石中MUC8浓度显著更高（高2.3倍），平均为82.84 ng/mL，而男性患者为25.27 ng/mL（P = 0.034）。MUC8在唾液腺的排泄管系统中分泌并释放到唾液中。重要的是，个体之间MUC8唾液浓度差异很大。此外，MUC8浓度存在性别依赖性（♀ > ♂）。在唾液结石疾病的背景下，MUC8在唾液中大量分泌。这些发现支持MUC8在炎症事件和唾液结石形成中的作用。这些发现有助于得出关于MUC8性别依赖性成分的结论。
