Matrix metalloproteinase-2 matrix metalloproteinase-9 and inducible nitric oxide synthase in oral leukoplakia: Immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR analysis
Oral leukoplakia is the most common and potentially malignant disorder of the oral mucosa. The definition of leukoplakia given by the World Health Organization is "a white plaque that cannot be characterized either from a clinical or from a histopathological point of view", thus the diagnosis of leukoplakia is based on the exclusion of other lesions of the oral mucosa. We believe it is necessary to identify molecular and immunohistochemical parameters that can contribute to discriminating between the different leukoplakia clinical subtypes coded by the epidemiology. In the present work we show the preliminary results of this research project. We investigated the expression of matrix metallo…
Morphostructural analysis of human follicular stem cells on highly porous bone hydroxyapatite scaffold
In this study we investigated the in vitro behaviour, morphostructure and extracellular matrix synthesis of human dental follicular stem cells (hDFSCs) isolated from human dental bud, which resulted to be positive for mesenchymal markers (CD29, CD90, CD146 and CD166) by FACS analysis. Cells were analysed by light and electronic microscopy to evaluate their biological response either at week 1, that is before differentiation, or at weeks 3–6, when they had been cultured in osteogenic medium onto a highly porous natural scaffold material (Bio-Oss®). Microscopy analysis of primary culture cells showed they had a mesenchymal stem cell-like morphostructure, spindle shaped, similar to the cultur…
A novel mutation of gene CBFA1/RUNX2 in cleidocranial dysplasia.
Cleidocranial dysplasia (CCD) is an autosomal dominant skeletal dysplasia characterised by abnormal clavicles, patent sutures and fontanelles, supernumerary teeth, short stature, and a variety of other skeletal changes. The disease gene is CBFA1/RUNX2, which is mapped to chromosome 6p21. Inactivation of the CBFA1/RUNX2 gene by mutations is involved in the skeletal defects that occur in patients with CCD. CBFA1/RUNX2 controls the differentiation of precursor cells into osteoblasts and is essential for membranous as well as endochondral bone formation. In this study of a 14-yr-old boy with typical CCD phenotype, the authors found a novel CBFA1/RUNX2 gene mutation. All of the amplified segment…