The upregulation of oncostatin M in inflamed human dental pulps.
OBJECTIVE
To compare oncostatin M (OSM) expression in clinically healthy and inflamed specimened human pulp tissue.


METHODS
Thirty pulpal tissue specimens (15 clinically healthy and 15 inflamed) were obtained from extracted third molars with informed consent from patients. The levels of OSM were compared between clinically healthy pulp and inflamed pulp tissues using the semi-quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. In addition, immunohistochemistry was used to identify the in situ localization of OSM expression in pulp specimens. For testing of differences in the OSM between the clinically healthy and inflamed human dental pulps, the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney rank sum test was applied. Differences in OSM expression between tissue with low and high levels of inflammation were subsequently analysed by Fisher's exact test.


RESULTS
Inflamed pulps exhibited significantly higher OSM mRNA gene expression than clinically healthy pulps (P < 0.05). Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that OSM expression was significantly higher in inflamed than clinically healthy pulps (P < 0.05). OSM staining was detected in odontoblasts, fibroblasts, inflammatory infiltrates and endothelial cells.


CONCLUSIONS
Oncostatin M expression was elevated in inflamed pulp tissue. OSM is potentially involved in the disease process of pulpal inflammation.
Huang
F-M
FM
Oral Medicine Centre, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
Tsai
C-H
CH
Yang
S-F
SF
Chang
Y-C
YC
D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D003782:Dental Pulp / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006131:Growth Inhibitors / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009804:Odontoblasts / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D053683:Oncostatin M / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D011671:Pulpitis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015854:Up-Regulation
D006131:Growth Inhibitors; D053683:Oncostatin M