title: Vasoactive intestinal peptide receptor expression in chronic periapical lesions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To use radioreceptor analysis for evaluating whether vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) receptors are present in chronic periapical lesions and to determine whether differences in its expression are found according to the size of the lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve periapical lesions were obtained from teeth diagnosed with chronic apical periodontitis and indicated for endodontic surgery; they were classified according to the size of the lesion in two groups of six samples (lesion size greater or smaller than 5 mm), and then processed and labelled with (125)I-VIP. Binding sites were identified by (125)I-VIP and standard VIP competition assays. Mann-Whitney's test was used to establish statistically significant differences in the VIP receptor expression between groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Vasoactive intestinal peptide receptor expression was found in all periapical lesion samples. There was a statistically significantly higher expression in periapical lesions <5 mm (P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Vasoactive intestinal peptide receptors were expressed in chronic periapical lesions with levels inversely proportional to lesion size.
authors.affiliation: Department of Graduate Studies, School of Dentistry, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogota, Colombia. javiercaviedes@cable.net.co
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Caviedes-Bucheli
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Azuero-Holguín
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.forename: I L
authors.initials: IL
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mateu
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Salazar
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Munoz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010483:Periapical Diseases / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology*; D010485:Periapical Periodontitis / Q000473:pathology; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D018005:Receptors, Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide / Q000032:analysis*; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide
chemical_list: D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D018005:Receptors, Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide