BPI-fold (BPIF) containing/plunc protein expression in human fetal major and minor salivary glands

Abstract The aim of this study was to determine expression, not previously described, of PLUNC (palate, lung, and nasal epithelium clone) (BPI-fold containing) proteins in major and minor salivary glands from very early fetal tissue to the end of the second trimester and thus gain further insight into the function of these proteins. Early fetal heads, and major and minor salivary glands were collected retrospectively and glands were classified according to morphodifferentiation stage. Expression of BPI-fold containing proteins was localized through immunohistochemistry. BPIFA2, the major BPI-fold containing protein in adult salivary glands, was detected only in the laryngeal pharynx; the lack of staining in salivary glands suggested salivary expression is either very late in development or is only in adult tissues. Early expression of BPIFA1 was seen in the trachea and nasal cavity with salivary gland expression only seen in late morphodifferentiation stages. BPIFB1 was seen in early neural tissue and at later stages in submandibular and sublingual glands. BPIFA1 is significantly expressed in early fetal oral tissue but BPIFB1 has extremely limited expression and the major salivary BPIF protein (BPIFA2) is not produced in fetal development. Further studies, with more sensitive techniques, will confirm the expression pattern and enable a better understanding of embryonic BPIF protein function.

Morphological characterization of the nasopalatine region in human fetuses and its association to pathologies

The nasopalatine region is composed of structures such as the vomeronasal organ and nasopalatine duct. The nasopalatine duct may provide the communication of the mouth to the nasal cavity in human fetuses and can be obliterated in an adult human. Knowledge on the development of the nasopalatine region and nasopalatine duct in humans is necessary for understanding the morphology and etiopathogenesis of lesions that occur in this region. Objective The aim of the present study was to describe the morphological aspects of the nasopalatine region in human fetuses and correlate these aspects with the development of pathologies in this region. Material and Methods Five human fetuses with no facial or palatine abnormalities were used for the acquisition of specimens from the nasopalatine region. After demineralization, the specimens were histologically processed. Histological cuts were stained with methylene blue to orient the cutting plane and hematoxylin-eosin for the descriptive histological analysis. Results The age of the fetuses was 8.00, 8.25, 9.00 and 9.25 weeks, and it was not possible to determine the age in the last one. The incisive canal was observed in all specimens as an opening delimited laterally by the periosteum and connecting oral and nasal cavity. The nasopalatine duct is an epithelial structure with the greatest morphological variation, with either unilateral or bilateral occurrence and total patent, partial patent and islet forms. The vomeronasal organ is a bilateral epithelized structure located alongside the nasal septum above the incisive canal in all the fetuses. Conclusions The incisive canal, nasopalatine duct and vomeronasal organ are distinct anatomic structures. The development of nasopalatine duct cysts may occur in all forms of the nasopalatine duct. .

Development of the lip and palate in staged human embryos and early fetuses

Cleft lip and palate are the most common congenital malformations in humans. Using 43 staged human embryos and early fetuses ranging from the 4th to 12th week of development, we investigated the development of the lip and palate in order to provide the basic developmental concepts required for managing these anomalies. The lower lip appeared as bilateral mandibular arches at Carnegie stage 11, and these were completely merged at stage 15. The components of the upper lip, medial nasal prominence and maxillary process, appeared at stage 16, and completely merged at stage 20. The median palatine process appeared at stage 16, and the lateral palatine process, at stage 17. The palatine processes and the nasal septum started to fuse abruptly at stage 23, and from external observation seemed to be fused at the 9th week. However, complete fusion did not take place until the 12th week of development. The tongue was prominent at stage 16, showed differentiation of the muscular tissue at stage 21, and was located superior to the lateral palatine process before stage 23. These results may be used in understanding the different mechanisms present in the formation of various congenital anomalies in this region.

El niño fisurado: un problema multidisciplinario / The fissured children: a multidisciplinary problem

El niño que nace con una fisura labiopalatina lleva consigo una malformación compleja cuya corrección implica diversos tratamientos, los que deben ser realizados por múltiples especialistas, con un resultado alentador en el largo plazo. La lesión compromete varias estructuras, de ahí su gravedad y su complejidad. En nuestro país ocupa el 4º lugar de las malformaciones congénitas en el recién nacido. En Chile, en la evolución histórica de su tratamiento destaca con nitidez lafigura del Dr. Alfredo Gantz Mann, cirujano pediatra que desarrolló programas terapéuticos en el Hospital Roberto del Ríoy en la Clínica Alemana de Santiago. Es de reconocimiento público su esforzado labor pionera asistencias y docente