title: Lymphangiogenesis in human dental pulp.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the impact of inflammation on lymphangiogenesis in human dental pulp.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eleven samples of dental pulp without inflammation and 11 dental pulps with moderate to intense mononuclear cell inflammatory infiltrate associated with dentine caries were selected. The streptavidin-biotin complex stain was used to detect CD31, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-3 (VEGFR-3) and alpha-smooth muscle actin. The number of lymphatic vessels was obtained by counting the number of vessels positive for CD31 and VEGFR-3 and negative for alpha-smooth muscle actin.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results demonstrated that the mean number (+/-SD) of vessels positive for CD31 and VEGFR-3 (lymphatic vessels) in the group with inflammation (6.09 +/- 1.81) was statistically higher (P = 0.0123) than the mean number in the group without inflammation (3.73 +/- 2.20).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increased co-immunostaining of CD31 and VEGF-3 in vessels associated with human dental pulp inflammation occurred, which suggests lymphangiogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Surgery and Pathology, School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
authors.forename: F J G S
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Pimenta
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Sá
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Gomez
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000032:analysis; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003782:Dental Pulp / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007424:Intracellular Fluid / Q000502:physiology; D042583:Lymphangiogenesis; D042601:Lymphatic Vessels / Q000737:chemistry; D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000032:analysis; D011671:Pulpitis / Q000473:pathology*; D040321:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-3 / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D040321:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-3