Aim: The regulation of inflammation and the host immune response relies significantly on apoptosis. It aids in tissue homeostasis, and a disruption of this is frequently linked to disease. The use of histochemical stains like hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and Feulgen reaction for DNA can provide a simple and cost-effective method for the detection of apoptotic cells. The aim of this study was to analyze the expression of apoptosis in the gingival epithelium of gingivitis subjects and in patients with chronic periodontitis, using H&E and Feulgen reaction for DNA, aided by immunohistochemistry (IHC).
Materials and methods: A total of 20 gingival biopsies were harvested from gingivitis subjects (n = 10) and 10 subjects who suffered from chronic periodontitis (n = 10). On the day the samples were collected, a University of North Carolina (UNC) 15 periodontal probe was used to record the periodontal data which includes the bleeding index, plaque index, gingival index, probing depth, and attachment loss. Apoptotic cells were analyzed using Feulgen reaction for DNA and H&E under light microscopy. This was followed by immunohistochemical analysis of p53 and Bcl-2 biomarkers.
Results: Apoptotic cell count was higher in the chronic periodontitis group with a mean apoptotic index (AI) of 15.00 compared to gingivitis the group where the mean AI was 7.48. The mean difference was found to be −7.52, however the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.18).
Conclusion: p53 plays a pivotal role in periodontal ligament cell homeostasis and seems to be upregulated in oral inflammatory diseases. Bcl-2 being an antiapoptotic marker was associated more with gingivitis as compared to chronic periodontitis.
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