Immunohistochemical evaluation of CD117 in mast cell of aggressive periodontitis.

CONTEXT: Aggressive periodontitis is a type of inflammatory response in periodontal tissues that is differentiated from chronic by its earlier onset, its high rate of progression, subgingival microbial composition, the difference in the host's immune response, and family history of the disease. Mast cells live in tissues and contribute to the various allergic and inflammatory conditions, including periodontal diseases, through the release of cytokines, chemokines, and proteolytic enzymes. CD117, the receptor of the stem cell factor expressed by the mast cells, is the hallmark of mast cell development. This study aimed to determine the expression level of CD117 in the mast cells of aggressive periodontitis using immunohistochemistry. AIMS: This study aimed to determine the expression level of CD117 in the mast cells of aggressive periodontitis using immunohistochemistry. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study was conducted on tissue samples from 15 patients with aggressive periodontitis and 15 patients with healthy gingival tissue. Samples were stained for CD117 markers using immunohistochemistry. After the microscopic examination of samples, all data were entered into SPSS 20 and analyzed. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Statistical data were analyzed using Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and independent t-test. RESULTS: According to the results, the mean expression levels of CD117 in the aggressive periodontitis and normal gingival groups were 19.08 ± 6.9 and 18.2 ± 8.1, respectively, which were not statistically significant (P = 0.75). The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test verified the normality of distribution of CD117 expression level. Given the normal distribution of the scores, the independent t-test was used to compare the CD117 expression level in the two study groups. CONCLUSIONS: There was no significant difference in the level of CD117 expression between the control and aggressive periodontitis groups.

Expression of mast cell in aggressive periodontitis.

BACKGROUND: Aggressive periodontitis is a progressive disease that can cause tooth loss within a short period of time. Mast cells are found in tissues with various allergic and inflammatory conditions including periodontal disease through the release of cytokines, chemokines, and proteolytic enzymes. Given the findings of some studies on the related role of mast cells, this study was conducted to determine the number of mast cells in aggressive periodontitis. METHODS: This study was conducted on 30 participants divided into two groups visiting the Faculty of Dentistry of University of Medical Sciences. A total of 15 participants with aggressive periodontitis and 15 healthy participants were investigated. For counting mast cells, toluidine blue staining was used. The percentage of mast cells and demographic factors were evaluated in the two groups and the results were analyzed in SPSS using descriptive statistics and independent t-tests. A P value <0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: The mean percentage of mast cells in the aggressive periodontitis group was 27.1±8.9 which was significantly higher than that of the healthy group, i.e. 12.6±5.1 (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In general, the results of the study showed that the percentage of mast cells in the aggressive periodontitis group was more than two times higher than that of the healthy group, which is indicative of an increase in the number of mast cells in aggressive periodontitis disease.

Expression of p63 and CD44 in oral squamous cell carcinoma and correlation with clinicopathological parameters.

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the sixth most frequent malignant tumor of the head and neck region. Despite advances in therapeutic options over the last decades, the rate of mortality and morbidity has not been improved markedly. A small subset of cells, cancer stem cells (CSCs), with self-renewal properties have become a major focus of current cancer research. CD44 and p63 are identified as candidate stem cell markers in normal squamous epithelium and SCC. The role of these markers in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is still debatable. The aim of this study was to evaluate immunohistochemical expression of these markers in OSCC samples and also correlates the expression of these markers with some clinicopathological parameters of prognostic significance including histological grading, TNM staging, overall survival (OS) rate as well as patients' age, gender, and tumor location. CD44 and p63 were expressed in all studied lesions with different degrees. Statistically significant difference was observed between CD44 and p63 expression with tumor grade and stage with higher expression in high grade and advanced OSCCs. No significant relationship was detected between markers immunoreactivity and patients age, gender, tumor location as well as OS. These markers can possibly advance our understanding of the initiating mechanisms and pathogenesis of OSCC and also result in novel therapeutic target in cancer treatment.

Effect of zinc sulfate on human primary enamel microhardness: an in vitro study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the effect of zinc sulfate on microhardness of human primary enamel. METHOD: Sixteen sound primary molars were sectioned mesiodistally. For each sample one of the sections was randomly immersed in artificial saliva (Biotene, USA) and the other was immersed in artificial saliva which was charged with 10 mg/5 mL concentration of zinc sulfate supplement (Razak Company, Iran) daily. After 24 days (the expected time to use up one 120-mL bottle) the surface microhardness of enamel was measured by knoop hardness test (KH) with Knoop diamond under a 50-gram load for 10 seconds. RESULTS: The mean (+/- SD) microhardness values (KHV) for the tested groups were 320 +/- 49.45 and 357 +/- 36.35, respectively. There were statistically significant differences between the groups as exhibited by independent t-test (P = 0.023). CONCLUSION: Primary teeth immersed in a zinc sulfate rich solution for 24 days showed higher microhardness values in comparison with the control group.

Isotretinoin as monotherapy for sebaceous hyperplasia.

Sebaceous hyperplasia is a common benign lesion composed of sebaceous glands. It is characterized as yellow or flesh-toned papules with central umbilication. The authors report the case of a 57-year-old Caucasian female with a longstanding history of sebaceous hyperplasia refractory to treatment on her face. Isotretionoin was used as an alternative therapy and was found to be effective.