In Vitro Effects of Female Sex Hormones on Collagenase Activity of Gingival Fibroblast and Periodontal Ligament Fibroblast / 대한치주과학회지

Many factors may affect periodontal changes during the physiologic conditions of woman(e.g. puberty, menstrual cycle, pregnancy, menopause). Recently many research has focused on the immunological changes of host, but the exact mechanism is not clear. Collagen is a major constituent of periodontium, and collagenase specifically digests the collagen and plays a role in destruction of periodontal tissue. So, I suppose that it participates with the cytokines in the inflammation of gingiva and vascular response during the changes of female sex hormones. Because there are some evidences of the existence of the receptors of estrogen and progesterone in the gingiva, it may be a target tissue of female sex hormones. In this experiment, gingival fibroblast and periodontal ligament cell were cultured in the presence of various concentrations of estrogen or progesterone corresponding to the menstrual cycle and pregnancy. Collagenase activity of the supernatant of culture media was determined by Spectrophotometric collagenase assay. The enzyme activity was calculated by the % decrease of the coated collagen. 1. The estrogen at both concentrations had no effect on the activity of collagenase of the gingival fibroblast. 2. The progesterone had some effect on the collagenase activity of the gingival fibroblast at low and high concentration of menstrual cycle, and elevated the enzyme activity at all range of pregnancy concentrations. 3. In periodontal ligament cells, estrogen elevated the enzyme activity at the early pregnancy concentration and progesterone elevated at the concentration just before menstruation. In this experiment, progesterone elevated the collagenase activity of gingival fibroblast and periodontal ligament cells. But the mechanism of the up-regulation of the enzyme activity was not confirmed. The more experiments of direct effect of progesterone on gingival at the molecular level(e.g. northern blot analysis) can reveal the exact mechanism.

Metastatic Lung Carcinoma Involving the Periodontium : Report of a case / 대한치주과학회지

The oral cavity is easily accessible for direct exposure of a malignant disease. 1 percent of the oral malignant tumors are of metastatic origin and approximately 10 percent to 25 percent of the 1 percent fraction originate from the lungs. A case of metastatic lung carcinoma to the gingiva in a 88-year-old male is reported. He complained of pain and swelling between right maxillary 1st premolar and 2nd molar. Although surgical excision of the lesion has been done, the gingival lesion developed as a quickly growing mass and recurred 2 weeks after surgical excision. The gingival mass was histopathologically diagnosed as an undifferentiated carcinoma. Epithelial layer was continuous without ulceration and it seems that the cancer cells are originated from primary tumor. Infiltrated cancer cells were pleomorphic and dyskeratotic. The cells had 2 or more nuclei, not showing squamous or glandular differentiation. Immunohistochemical study revealed the cells originated from the epithelial cells. The prognosis is poor, because prognosis depends on surgical elimination of the primary tumor.