title: Confocal laser scanning microscopy of human cementocytes: analysis of three-dimensional image reconstruction.
abstract: In order to define a practical method for a quantitative-qualitative analysis of dental hard tissue cells, we have studied cementocytes of human teeth using Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM), a research technique based on laser light microscopic analysis of biological samples stained for fluorescence observation. One thousand and eight hundred cementocyte images were analyzed. CLSM allowed improved tissue imaging, bi-dimensional pictures with better resolution at cellular level and, in particular, the possibility of a three-dimensional image reconstruction, thus providing a dynamic view of the cell under different situations. CLSM allowed a careful morphological observation and dimensional analysis of cementocytes at cellular resolution: cementocyte dimensional parameters like cell body without cell processes, cell dimensions with cell processes, and the number of cellular processes could be obtained. In conclusion, this study reports the fine definition of cementocytes at microscopic level by CSLM and the results warrant the use of this technique for further comparative analyses between normal and pathological cementocyte cells, e.g. cementum neoplasia and periodontal disease which still await a clear analytical description at cellular level.
authors.affiliation: Department of Odontostomatology and Surgery, University of Bari, Piazza G. Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scivetti
authors.forename: Giovanni Pietro
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Pilolli
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Corsalini
authors.forename: Alberta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lucchese
authors.forename: Gianfranco
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Favia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003739:Dental Cementum / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008964:Molar, Third / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D014081:Tooth Extraction