IL-18 expression in salivary gland ducts of patients with Sjögren's syndrome (SS) and nonspecific chronic sialoadenitis

Abstract

<p><b>Copyright information:</b></p><p>Taken from "Increased circulating levels and salivary gland expression of interleukin-18 in patients with Sjögren's syndrome: relationship with autoantibody production and lymphoid organization of the periductal inflammatory infiltrate"</p><p>Arthritis Research & Therapy 2004;6(5):R447-R456.</p><p>Published online 3 Aug 2004</p><p>PMCID:PMC546280.</p><p>Copyright © 2004 Bombardieri et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article: verbatim copying and redistribution of this article are permitted in all media for any purpose, provided this notice is preserved along with the article's original URL.</p> IL-18-positive ducts were detected in all the SS samples but in only a minority of those from chronic sialoadenitis. A considerable range of variability of IL-18 expression was observed in ducts among different samples. Within the same glandular lobule, positive and negative (arrowheads) adjacent ducts were observed (a). Ductal IL-18 expression was found in ducts surrounded (b) and not surrounded (c) by focal infiltrate, as well as in ducts characterized by periductal fibrosis (d). In contrast to ductal epithelial cells, no staining for IL-18 was found in acinar cells (a,d, stars). In a minority of patients with chronic sialoadenitis, we observed similar ductal staining patterns. Representative examples of positive (e) and negative (f) ductal IL-18 staining in different patients with chronic sialoadenitis are shown. Original magnification × 200