OBJECTIVES: E‐selectin (CD62E) is an adhesion molecule that participates in the binding of leukocytes to activated blood vascular endothelium. The present study was undertaken to characterise the pattern of E‐selectin expression on epithelial cells of the gingival crevice and oral epithelium.METHODS: A panel of six anti‐E‐selectin monoclonal antibodies was reacted with cryosections of human gin‐giva and cytospins of cultured gingival keratinocytes.RESULTS Three antibodies raised against leukocyte binding epitopes of the molecule (H4/18, HI8/7, I.2B6) were reactive with gingival keratinocytes, three were negative (4DI0, BBAl, BBA2), while all six reacted with endothelial cells. Staining with H18/7 and 1.2B6 was weaker and more variable than with H4/18. In cell culture, levels of E‐selectin expression reduced slowly, and were only modestly increased by treatment with exogenous TNFα, a known inducer of E‐selectin on endothelium.CONCLUSIONS: E‐selectin epitopes are expressed on gingival keratinocytes. These binding epitopes may be involved in the traffic of leukocytes in this ti