Biomaterial Database

Proliferative compartments in the normal nail unit. 1996

D de Berker, and B Angus

Department of Dermatology, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne, U.K.

The main distinction between the germinal matrix and the nail bed is that the former is the origin of all or most of the nail plate and the latter provides an epithelial surface to which the emerging nail can adhere. It has been argued that the nail bed may contribute substance to the nail plate and it is likely that if this was the case, epithelial proliferation in the nail bed would match that in the germinal matrix by a proportion appropriate to its contribution. We have measured the labelling index (LI) in the three major anatomical sites of the nail unit using two antibodies to antigens expressed in cycling cells. Using Ki-67 (MIB-1) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) as markers of cell proliferation we have defined the LI in the germinal matrix (MIB-1: 22.1%, PCNA: 33%), nail bed (MIB-1: 0.75%, PCNA: 1%) and digit pulp (MIB-1: 16.8%, PCNA: 17.4%). This suggests a low degree of proliferation in normal nail bed consistent with a minimal or non-existent contribution to the nail plate. This may change in hyperkeratotic nail dystrophies, where the nail bed LI is raised (MIB-1: 31%, PCNA: 29%), illustrating how nail bed behaviour can alter with disease.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007124	Immunoenzyme Techniques	Immunologic techniques based on the use of: (1) enzyme-antibody conjugates; (2) enzyme-antigen conjugates; (3) antienzyme antibody followed by its homologous enzyme; or (4) enzyme-antienzyme complexes. These are used histologically for visualizing or labeling tissue specimens.	Antibody Enzyme Technique, Unlabeled,Enzyme Immunoassay,Enzyme-Labeled Antibody Technique,Immunoassay, Enzyme,Immunoperoxidase Techniques,Peroxidase-Antiperoxidase Complex Technique,Peroxidase-Labeled Antibody Technique,Antibody Enzyme Technic, Unlabeled,Enzyme-Labeled Antibody Technic,Immunoenzyme Technics,Immunoperoxidase Technics,Peroxidase-Antiperoxidase Complex Technic,Peroxidase-Labeled Antibody Technic,Antibody Technic, Enzyme-Labeled,Antibody Technic, Peroxidase-Labeled,Antibody Technics, Enzyme-Labeled,Antibody Technics, Peroxidase-Labeled,Antibody Technique, Enzyme-Labeled,Antibody Technique, Peroxidase-Labeled,Antibody Techniques, Enzyme-Labeled,Antibody Techniques, Peroxidase-Labeled,Enzyme Immunoassays,Enzyme Labeled Antibody Technic,Enzyme Labeled Antibody Technique,Enzyme-Labeled Antibody Technics,Enzyme-Labeled Antibody Techniques,Immunoassays, Enzyme,Immunoenzyme Technic,Immunoenzyme Technique,Immunoperoxidase Technic,Immunoperoxidase Technique,Peroxidase Antiperoxidase Complex Technic,Peroxidase Antiperoxidase Complex Technique,Peroxidase Labeled Antibody Technic,Peroxidase Labeled Antibody Technique,Peroxidase-Antiperoxidase Complex Technics,Peroxidase-Antiperoxidase Complex Techniques,Peroxidase-Labeled Antibody Technics,Peroxidase-Labeled Antibody Techniques,Technic, Enzyme-Labeled Antibody,Technic, Immunoenzyme,Technic, Immunoperoxidase,Technic, Peroxidase-Antiperoxidase Complex,Technic, Peroxidase-Labeled Antibody,Technics, Enzyme-Labeled Antibody,Technics, Immunoenzyme,Technics, Immunoperoxidase,Technics, Peroxidase-Antiperoxidase Complex,Technics, Peroxidase-Labeled Antibody,Technique, Enzyme-Labeled Antibody,Technique, Immunoenzyme,Technique, Immunoperoxidase,Technique, Peroxidase-Antiperoxidase Complex,Technique, Peroxidase-Labeled Antibody,Techniques, Enzyme-Labeled Antibody,Techniques, Immunoenzyme,Techniques, Immunoperoxidase,Techniques, Peroxidase-Antiperoxidase Complex,Techniques, Peroxidase-Labeled Antibody
D007223	Infant	A child between 1 and 23 months of age.	Infants
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D008940	Mitotic Index	An expression of the number of mitoses found in a stated number of cells.	Index, Mitotic,Indices, Mitotic,Mitotic Indices
D009260	Nail Diseases	Diseases of the nail plate and tissues surrounding it. The concept is limited to primates.	Disease, Nail,Diseases, Nail,Nail Disease
D009262	Nails	The thin, horny plates that cover the dorsal surfaces of the distal phalanges of the fingers and toes of primates.	Fingernails,Toenails,Fingernail,Nail,Toenail
D002648	Child	A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL.	Children
D002675	Child, Preschool	A child between the ages of 2 and 5.	Children, Preschool,Preschool Child,Preschool Children
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000293	Adolescent	A person 13 to 18 years of age.	Adolescence,Youth,Adolescents,Adolescents, Female,Adolescents, Male,Teenagers,Teens,Adolescent, Female,Adolescent, Male,Female Adolescent,Female Adolescents,Male Adolescent,Male Adolescents,Teen,Teenager,Youths