Syndecan-1 immunohistochemical expression in gingival tissues of chronic periodontitis patients correlated with various putative factors.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Limited information is available on the expression and distribution of syndecan-1 within human gingival tissues/cells and on putative factors that might affect its expression. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to determine immunohistochemically the expression and distribution of syndecan-1 in the gingival tissues of patients with chronic periodontitis and to examine the correlation of syndecan-1 expression with various putative factors (environmental, patient/systemic and local factors). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Gingival specimens were surgically excised from the area of the junctional/pocket epithelium (study group 1, including 30 chronic periodontitis patients) or the gingival oral epithelium (study group 2, comprising another 30 chronic periodontitis patients), adjacent to teeth with poor prognosis. Standard two-step immunohistochemistry and semi-quantitative evaluation of immunohistochemical staining were used to determine syndecan-1 expression. Statistical analyses on the impact of various putative factors were performed. RESULTS: In the junctional/pocket epithelium or the oral epithelium, syndecan-1 expression was weak to moderate in the suprabasal and basal epithelial cells and absent to weak in the internal basal lamina, external basal lamina and gingival connective tissue matrix. Syndecan-1 expression in the junctional/pocket epithelium was statistically significantly stronger than in the oral epithelium in inflammatory cells within the underlying gingival connective tissue (primarily plasma cells and lymphocytes) and in scattered fibroblast-like cells. CONCLUSIONS: Syndecan-1 expression in the junctional/pocket epithelium or the oral epithelium can exhibit a significant positive correlation with the severity/degree of histologically evaluated local gingival inflammation, but in general is not significantly correlated with age, smoking, full-mouth and local clinical (probing pocket depth and clinical attachment level) and radiographical parameters (radiographical bone loss) of periodontal status.

The adjunctive use of platelet-rich plasma in the therapy of periodontal intraosseous defects: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The evidence for the efficacy of the adjunctive use of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in periodontal intraosseous defects has not been systematically evaluated. The objective of this review was to address the focused question, 'What is the efficacy, with respect to clinical, radiographical and patient-centred outcomes, of combinations of PRP with other therapeutic bioactive agents/procedures, compared with the efficacy of the same agents/procedures without the adjunctive use of PRP in the therapy of periodontal intraosseous defects in patients with chronic periodontitis and without systemic diseases that could potentially influence the outcome of periodontal therapy?' by performing a systematic review of randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs) published in the dental literature in any language, up to and including September 2008. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Data sources principally included electronic databases, manually searched journals and contact with experts. In the first phase of study selection, the titles and abstracts, and in the second phase, full papers were screened independently and in duplicate by two reviewers. RESULTS: In the first phase, 6124 potentially relevant titles and abstracts were examined. In the second phase, the full text of 20 publications was thoroughly evaluated. Eventually, 10 RCTs were selected. CONCLUSION: Diverse outcomes (positive and negative) have been reported for the efficacy of PRP combined with various therapeutic bioactive agents/procedures, reflecting the limited and heterogeneous data available and possibly suggesting that the specific selection of agents/procedures combined with PRP could be important. Additional research on the efficacy of each specific combination of PRP is necessary.