COLLAGENS SYNTHESIZED INVITRO BY DIPLOID FIBROBLASTS OBTAINED FROM CHRONICALLY INFLAMED HUMAN CONNECTIVE-TISSUE

  • 1 January 1978
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 39  (1) , 61-65
Abstract
Collagen synthesis by fibroblasts obtained from healthy and diseased human gingiva was compared. The cells were labeled with radioactive amino acids and the collagenous proteins synthesized were characterized after NaCl fraction by CM[carboxy methyl]-cellulose chromatography and cyanogen bromide peptide analysis. Fourteen cell lines, 6 from healthy gingiva, 6 from gingiva with chronic inflammatory periodontitis and 2 from acutely inflamed gingiva, were studied. All of the cell lines synthesized predominantly type I collagen. Type III collagen was a minor product of all cell lines except one from diseased tissue. Five of 6 cell lines from diseased gingiva and 2 of 2 from acutely inflamed tissue synthesized a collagen that was soluble in 2.5 M NaCl. The .alpha.1/.alpha.2 ratio and cyanogen bromide peptide pattern indicated that this fraction contained a collagen of the type .alpha.1[I]3. The .alpha.1[I]3 collagen was not detectable in the fibroblast lines obtained from healthy gingiva. Inflamed human gingivae contain fibroblasts which may differ phenotypically from cells from normal tissue in that they are capable of synthesizing .alpha.1[I]3 collagen.