Ultrastructure of gingival epithelium in chronic gingivitis.

We studied ultrastructural reorganization of the gingival mucosa in chronic gingivitis. It was found that chronic inflammation leads to significant intracellular reorganization of epitheliocytes in the basal and prickle cell layers of gingival epithelium and their pronounced structural and functional heterogeneity. The main ultrastructural alterations of epitheliocytes in the basal and prickle cell layers include pronounced vacuolization of the perinuclear zone (partial necrosis), formation of thick tonofilament bundles, focal lysis and sequestration of glycogen, and destruction and reduction of intracellular junctions in some cases accompanied by acantholytic alterations. Chronic inflammation in the gingival mucosa induced extensive remodeling of the lamina propria manifested in multiplication of the basement membrane and obturation of blood vessels with collagen fibrils.