Collagens synthesized in vitro by diploid fibroblasts obtained from chronically inflamed human connective tissue

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 fractionation by CM-cellulose chromatography and cyanogen bromide peptide analysis. Fourteen cell lines, six from healthy gingiva, six from gingiva with chronic inflammatory periodontitis, and two 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 six cell lines from diseased gingiva and two of two from acutely inflamed tissue synthesized a collagen that was soluble in 2.5 M NaCl. The alpha1/alpha2 ratio and cyanogen bromide peptide pattern indicated that this fraction contained a collagen of the type alpha1[I]3. The alpha1[I]3 collagen was not detectable in the fibroblast lines obtained from healthy gingiva. It appears that inflamed human gingivae contain fibroblasts which differ phenotypically from cells from normal tissue in that they are capable of synthesizing alpha1[I]3 collagen.