title: Immunohistochemical expression of SHH, PTC, SMO and GLI1 in glandular odontogenic cysts and dentigerous cysts.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate expression of the sonic hedgehog (SHH) signaling pathway components in glandular odontogenic cysts (GOCs), and dentigerous cysts (DCs).
  
  
  METHODS
  Immunohistochemical staining for SHH, patched (PTC), smoothened (SMO), and the transcriptional factor GLI1 were investigated in the 12 GOCs specimens and 20 DCs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In GOCs and DCs, immunoreactivity for SHH, PTC, SMO, and GLI1 were detected in the epithelial cytoplasm. Each of the genes of the SHH signaling pathway was expressed in similar patterns in the epithelial lining of the cysts. The expression of SHH, PTC, SMO, and GLI1 was significantly higher in epithelia than that of subepithelial fibroblasts (P < 0.01). No statistical difference among the labeling index of the epithelial lining among the different cyst types could be revealed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings suggest that the proteins of the SHH signaling pathway are predominantly located within the epithelial components of GOCs and DCs. SHH signaling pathway may play a role in epithelial lining formation.
authors.affiliation: The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei-MOST) and Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine, Ministry of Education, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China Department of Oral Pathology, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Z J
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: X M
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D002452:Cell Count; D004396:Coloring Agents; D003238:Connective Tissue / Q000473:pathology; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003803:Dentigerous Cyst / Q000473:pathology*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000473:pathology; D004848:Epithelium / Q000473:pathology; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000473:pathology; D053823:Hedgehog Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000473:pathology; D009807:Odontogenic Cysts / Q000473:pathology*; D000072079:Patched Receptors; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000032:analysis*; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000032:analysis*; D000072086:Smoothened Receptor; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000032:analysis*; D000071676:Zinc Finger Protein GLI1
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents; C400551:GLI1 protein, human; D053823:Hedgehog Proteins; D000072079:Patched Receptors; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; C509239:SHH protein, human; C491023:SMO protein, human; D000072086:Smoothened Receptor; D014157:Transcription Factors; D000071676:Zinc Finger Protein GLI1