Expression Characteristics and Clinical Significance of Inflammatory Markers in Epithelium and Stroma of Oral Mucosal Diseases

doi:10.13701/j.cnki.kqyxyj.2026.01.008

Abstract

Abstract: Objective: To detect the expression pattern of inflammatory markers in the epithelium and stroma of the patients with oral mucosal diseases. Methods: Sixty patients, with 20 cases of oral bullous diseases (OBDs), 20 cases of oral lichen planus (OLP), and 20 cases of oral leukoplakia (OLK), from December 2020 to December 2024, were enrolled in present study. Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining was performed to assess the expressions of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and complement C3 (Complement 3, C3) in oral mucosal tissues and cells. The epithelial-stromals expression characteristics and their clinical significance were analyzed. Results: IHC for OBDs, OLP, and OLK tissues results revealed that ACE2 expressed mainly in the cellular membranes of the epithelial stratum spinosum and basale, while weakly in the stromal cells (P<0.01). TMPRSS2 expressed widely in the whole epithelial layers, particularly in glandular ductal epithelium, while weakly in the stromal cells (P<0.01). The expressions of IL-1β and C3 in the epithelium and stroma of OLK were significantly higher than those of OLP (P<0.01). Conclusion: ACE2 and TMPRSS2 primarily participate in maintaining the basic functions of the oral mucosal epithelial barrier and do not exhibit specificity in the inflammatory pathological changes of OBDs, OLP, and OLK. Compared to OBDs and OLP, IL-1β and C3 are more suitable for assessing the inflammatory status of the epithelium and stroma in OLK tissues.

Key words: oral mucosal diseases, inflammatory markers, immune imbalance, epithelium-stroma, clinical significance

CHEN Yifei, MOU Jingtian, HAN Qi, ZHOU Hongmei, WU Fanglong. Expression Characteristics and Clinical Significance of Inflammatory Markers in Epithelium and Stroma of Oral Mucosal Diseases[J]. Journal of Oral Science Research, 2026, 42(1): 41-47.

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