Created: May 8, 1999 Revised:
URL:
Max A. Listgarten: Comments to author: max@listgarten.com
(Technical Support: Center for Dental Informatics: Heiko Spallek)
d. Connective tissue-epithelial interactions:
The interaction of connective tissues and adjacent epithelia have have a significant effect on epithelial tissue differentiation. The dense lamina propria found under the masticatory mucosa is largely responsible for the maintenance of the stratified squamous keratinizing epithelium that covers it. Likewise, the loose connective tissue that supports the non-keratinizing lining epithelium is largely responsible for the absence of keratinization in this epithelium.
If a tissue graft consisting of lamina propria is taken from the masticatory mucosa of the hard palate and is transplanted to a region lacking an adequate covering of keratinizing mucosa, it will induce the epithelium that grows over it to keratinize, even if the epithelium originates from an adjacent, non-keratinized mucosal surface (Karring et al. 1975).
This property of the connective tissue to modulate the differentiation of the overlying epithelium is taken advantage of in reconstructive surgical procedures. For example, a palatal connective tissue graft can be transplanted subepithelially to a zone lacking keratinized mucosa, where it will induce the overlying epithelium to differentiate into a keratinized epithelium.
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University of Pennsylvania and Temple
University © 1999. All rights reserved. Created: May 8, 1999 Revised: URL: Max A. Listgarten: Comments to author: max@listgarten.com (Technical Support: Center for Dental Informatics: Heiko Spallek) |
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