Expression of cytokeratins, adhesion and activation molecules in oral ulcers of Behçet's disease.

Background: Behçet's disease (BD) is a multisystemic inflammatory disorder of which oral aphthous ulceration is a major feature. AIMS/HYPOTHESIS. This study sought to determine the role of cytokeratins, differentiation and proliferation markers, gammadelta T-cell adhesion and activation molecules, and apoptotic markers in oral ulcers of this disease.

Methods: Expression patterns for cytokeratins (K1, K6, K14, K15, K16), integrins (beta1 and alpha6), CD3 T-cell and gammadelta T-cell adhesion and activation markers [CD40, CD44, CD54, ICAM-1, CD58, leucocyte function-associated antigen (LFA)-3, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), CD86], and cellular proliferation and differentiation markers (Ki67 and involucrin), and apoptotic markers (CD95 and Bcl-2) in oral ulcers of nine patients with BD and four healthy controls were analysed by immunohistochemistry.

Results: K14, K15 and involucrin expression were unchanged, whereas Ki67, the proliferation marker, was reduced by around 50%. K1, K6, K16, beta1 integrin and the apoptotic marker CD95 were upregulated, whereas alpha6 integrin and Bcl-2 were downregulated in BD samples. CD3 and gammadelta T-cell expression and other adhesion molecules including CD44, CD86, CD58 (LFA-3), VCAM-1 and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (CD54) were upregulated, whereas CD40 showed little change.

Conclusions: Our data demonstrates changes in cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions that affect cell homeostasis and may participate in the formation of oral ulcers in BD.