Immunoexpression of dendritic cells in clinically health and irreversible pulps

Abstract

Defense reactions of the dentin/pulp complex involve a variety of biological systems; in which the immune system plays a main role. The identification of pulpal dendritic cells (DC) has generated research activities to know how an antigen can evoke a pulpal immune response. The purpose of this work was to make a quantification and observation of DC in healthy and irreversible clinical diagnosed pulp using HLA-DR marker. Immunohistochemical observations of healthy clinical pulps revealed a prominent paraodontoblastic distribution of CD. On the other hand on irreversible clinical pulps the number and distribution of CD was irregular in all the pulp tissue. That makes us suggest that the CD in dental pulp continue activating immunologic responses even on irreversible pulp process.