The increased levels of elafin in keratocyst epithelia and dysplastic tissue may be a cellular homoeostatic response to generate a protective barrier preventing proteolytic degradation of underlying elastic tissue.
Increased abundance of alpha I(I) collagen and elafin transcripts was demonstrated in the keratocyst, with decreased abundance of stefin B, SPRC and cytokeratins 4 and 13 transcripts compared to normal palatal mucosa.