Immunohistological Evaluation of Peri-Implant Soft Tissue Grafting Using a Porcine Dermal Matrix-A Human Histological...

The aim was the immunohistological evaluation of a porcine dermal matrix (PDM) in comparison to a non-augmented control group for peri-implant tissue thickening.

This human histological study involved the placement of PDM in the test group (20 patients) during implant placement, while the control group underwent implant placement without grafting (20 patients). Postoperative clinical evaluations were conducted, and biopsies were obtained after 3 months. Histomorphometric evaluation utilized H&E staining. Immunohistological analysis included CD31, PSR, TE-7, CD3, CD20, CD138, and CD68.

A total of 40 patients (17 females, 23 males; 60.62 years) were included. Though more frequent gingival redness occurred during wound healing in the PDM, the groups showed no significant differences in epithelial thickness (p = 0.63), rete ridges (p = 0.53), papilla density (p = 0.626), papilla complexity (p = 0.053), vascularization (p = 0.052), connective tissue morphology (p = 0.127), collagen differentiation (p = 0.41), and CD3⁺ (p = 0.85) and CD138⁺ cells (p = 0.33). The PDM group showed significantly more CD68⁺ cells (p = 0.049) and CD20⁺ cells (p = 0.046), which correlates with a potentially distinct immune response caused by the PDM.

The PDM used in this study exhibited no significant differences regarding epithelial changes, vascularization, tissue morphology, and collagen differentiation compared to a healthy control sample 3 months after grafting. The PDM group demonstrated a significantly higher frequency of CD68⁺ and CD20⁺ cells. The noticeable interindividual variation in immunoprofiles and clinical relevance of these findings should be investigated in future research.