Expression of heparan sulphate and small dermatan/chondroitin sulphate proteoglycans in chronically inflamed human periodontium

Proteoglycans (PGs) function in regulating aspects of cell behavior, such as proliferation, adhesion, and migration. In this report, we investigated the localization of three heparan sulphate PGs (basement membrane [BM] heparan sulphate PG, CD44, and syndecan-1) and two small dermatan/chondroitin sulphate PGs (decorin and biglycan) in chronically inflamed human periodontium. Frozen sections were analyzed by immunofluorescence microscopy. in inflamed tissue,BM heparan sulphate PG showed reduced immunostaining in subepithelial and subendothelial basement membrane. Loss of CD44 and syndecan-1 was common in epithelial cells of inflamed periodontal tissue. Suprabasal keratinocytes of epithelium expressed involucrin, a cornified envelope protein and marker for epithelial differentiation, while the expression of syndecan-1 was weak or absent. in contrast, expression of the mesenchymal variant of CD44 and syndecan-1 was strong in infiltrating lymphocytes. Small dermatan/chondroitin sulphate PGs, decorin and biglycan, were also present in markedly reduced amounts in the periodontal connective tissue in chronic inflammation. In addition, decorin localized in the connective tissue along short rod-like structures. The results suggest that proteoglycan-dependent intercellular adhesion of keratinocytes is decreased and that adhesion of lymphocytes to matrix molecules via cell surface PGs is increased in chronic inflammation. Disappearance of adhesion-modulating small dermatan/chondroitin sulphate PGs may further regulate cell migration in inflamed periodontium.