| Background: Many studies have reported that macrophages and eosinophils are involved in the pathogenesis
of several diseases. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study comparing macrophages and
eosinophils in oral reactive lesions.
Aims: In this study, we aimed to determine the contribution of macrophages and eosinophils to the
pathogenesis of oral reactive lesions and the relationships between these biomarkers and the diverse
histopathologic features.
Methods: Seventy‑five paraffin‑embedded tissue samples were assessed in this study. Five categories (15 cases
for each group), including peripheral ossifying fibroma, pyogenic granuloma, fibroma, inflammatory fibrous
hyperplasia, and peripheral giant‑cell granuloma, were considered. Anti‑CD68 immunohistochemical and
hematoxylin‑eosin staining was carried out.
Results: We found that macrophages, but not eosinophils, were a significant internal component of oral
reactive lesions. Macrophages were observed in high densities in all studied groups and diffusely distributed
or clustered throughout these lesions. The number of macrophages was increased in peripheral giant‑cell
granuloma compared with other groups.
Conclusions: Our findings suggest that macrophages are involved in the pathogenesis and the variation
of microscopic features of oral reactive lesions. However, further clinical studies should be conducted to
identify the biological process behind macrophages and the molecular interactions of these cells, with the
ultimate aim of suggesting a new potential therapeutic target for these lesions. We found that eosinophils
were not involved in the fibrotic process and the variation of microscopic features in oral reactive lesions.
Our results showed that peripheral giant‑cell granulomas highly demonstrated histiocytic characteristics. |