Involvement of specific laminins and nidogens in the active remodeling of the basal lamina of labial salivary glands from patients with Sjögren's syndrome

Abstract

These results suggest that the basal lamina of LSGs from patients with SS is undergoing active remodeling, such that alterations are less evident in patients who have advanced morphologic signs of the disease (high interacinar fibrosis). Nidogen proteolysis might account for the disorganization of the basal lamina that is typically observed in LSGs from SS patients, assuming that cleavage impairs their ability to crosslink type IV collagen and laminin networks.