title: Expression of growth-factor receptors in normal and regenerating human periodontal cells.
abstract: Growth factors are biologically active mediators that bind to specific receptors on target cells and regulate genes involved in cell growth, wound healing and regeneration. The expression of these receptors is thus of fundamental importance for the response of the cells to the factors. The aim here was to examine, using immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry, the expression of growth factor receptors in normal gingiva, periodontal ligament and in cells derived from these tissues, and also in regenerated tissues following guided tissue regeneration (GTR). By immunocytochemistry platelet-derived growth factor receptor-alpha (PDGF-Ralpha) was not detected in any of the tissues, whereas the PDGF-Rbeta and transforming growth factor-beta receptor types I and II (TGF-beta RI, RII) appeared to be upregulated in regenerated tissues compared with gingival and periodontal ligament tissues. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) was also notably elevated in the regenerated tissue and was strongly expressed in the gingival epithelium but not in the periodontal ligament. Neither were fibroblast growth factor receptor-I (FGF-RI) or insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF-R) detected in the periodontal ligament, nor in the gingiva, but they sometimes stained weakly in the regenerated tissues. Flow cytometry (FCM) showed that all the cells derived from the normal gingiva and the periodontal ligament expressed the PDGF-Rbeta, whereas the TGF-beta RI and RII, FGF-RI and IGF-R were detected in only a proportion of the total cells. In contrast, none of the cells expressed the PDGF-Ralpha or the EGF-R. These observations show that the growth factor receptors are differentially expressed by the periodontal tissues and cells and suggest that the corresponding factors may also be differentially involved in periodontal wound healing and regeneration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontology, Room RL 16 Levy Wing, Eastman Dental Institute, University College London, 256 Gray's Inn Road, WC1X 8LD, London, UK.
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Parkar
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kuru
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giouzeli
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Olsen
mesh_terms: D004848:Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005881:Gingiva / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D016557:Guided Tissue Regeneration, Periodontal; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D010513:Periodontal Ligament / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D020796:Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor alpha / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D020797:Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor beta / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D017468:Receptors, Fibroblast Growth Factor / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D017978:Receptors, Growth Factor / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D017451:Receptors, Somatomedin / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D018125:Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D012038:Regeneration / Q000235:genetics; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000235:genetics; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D017468:Receptors, Fibroblast Growth Factor; D017978:Receptors, Growth Factor; D017451:Receptors, Somatomedin; D018125:Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D020796:Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor alpha; D020797:Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor beta