Abstract
Background & Aims : Some oral mucosal diseases display clear predispositions toward certain sites of occurrence. Oral lichen planus is one such disease, and is thought to have some relationships with cell-mediated immunity leading to a tendency to develop on the buccal mucosa. The aim of this study was to investigate the distribution of Langerhans cells in various sites of oral mucosa. Methods : Immunohistochemical examination using an anti-S100 antibody was performed for 47 samples of healthy oral mucosa and skin. Results : S100-positive cells were more frequent in lining mucosa than in masticatory mucosa. Significantly more S100-positive cells were found in buccal mucosa than in other sites. Conclusions : Langerhans cells are positive for S100 and are thought to represent antigen-presenting cells. These cells were most frequent in buccal mucosa, a result that is in accordance with the predisposition of oral lichen planus.
