CD36 (OKM5) antigen expression on human mucosal epithelia is associated with keratinization type

Angina bullosa hemorrhagica of the soft palate: a clinical study of 16 cases

Angina bullosa hemorrhagica (ABH) is an oral mucosal blood blister that develops without blood dyscrasia or vesiculobullous disorder. Although a minor mucosal trauma has been suggested as a triggering factor for ABH, its etiopathogenesis, especially the causative role of systemic conditions, is largely unknown. We investigated the presence or absence of local factors as well as systemic background disease in 16 patients with ABH arising in the soft palate. All the lesions were solitary, and 75% of them (n = 12) appeared during the ingestion of hard or crispy food. With regard to underlying systemic conditions, hypertension was the most common (n = 6), and asthma, insomnia, diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis, gastrointestinal disorder and hyperuricemia were also recorded (n = 1 each). Five patients had no significant background disease. There were no recalcitrant or recurrent cases. In conclusion, the present study has revealed that scratching of the oral mucosa during eating plays an important role in the formation of ABH. Hypertension appears to be the most frequent background condition, but its pathogenic relationship with ABH remains speculative, as hypertension is fairly common in adults.

Clearance: the last and often forgotten stage of apoptosis

Engulfment by a phagocyte is the final common event in the life of most apoptotic cells. Phagocytosis of apoptotic bodies prior to their lysis prevents the release of potentially toxic or immunogenic intracellular contents and activates an anti-inflammatory response, at least in macrophages. We are beginning to understand the mechanisms by which macrophages and other phagocytes recognize apoptotic cells in vitro, but we are a long way from determining their relative importance in vivo. The involuting mammary gland undergoes massive cell loss by apoptosis. The dying alveolar epithelial cells can be shed into the lumen or can be phagocytosed by macrophages and viable epithelial cells. Yet we know virtually nothing about the mechanisms mediating recognition and uptake in the mammary gland. It is likely that clearance of apoptotic cells is critical to normal remodeling of the gland in preparation for the next wave of lactation. The mammary gland, therefore, provides an ideal organ in which to study the mechanisms and consequences of apoptotic cell clearance in vivo.