title: Monocyte chemotactic protein-3: possible involvement in apical periodontitis chemotaxis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the expression of monocyte chemotactic protein-3 (MCP-3, also known as chemokine CCL-7) in tissue from apical lesions (AL) and to associate MCP-3 expression with symptomatic or asymptomatic apical periodontitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  To determine the expression of MCP-3 in AL, biopsies obtained during tooth extraction procedures were fixed, subjected to routine processing and diagnosed as apical granuloma (AG) (n = 7) or radicular cyst (RC) (n = 5). As controls, apical periodontal ligament (PDL) specimens from healthy premolars extracted for orthodontics reasons were included (n = 7). All specimens were immunostained for MCP-3 and examined under a light microscope. In addition, homogenates from AL (n = 14) and healthy PDL samples (n = 7) were studied through immunowestern blot. Finally, periapical exudates samples were collected from root canals of teeth having diagnosis of symptomatic (n = 14) and asymptomatic apical periodontitis (n = 14) during routine endodontic treatments and analysed by immunowestern blot and densitometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MCP-3 was detected in AG and RC and localized mainly to inflammatory leucocytes, whereas no expression was observed in healthy PDLs. MCP-3 was also detected in periapical exudate, and its levels were significantly higher in symptomatic than in asymptomatic apical periodontitis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MCP-3 was expressed in AL and its levels associated with clinical symptoms. MCP-3 might play a role in disease pathogenesis, possibly by stimulating mononuclear chemotaxis.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Periodontal Biology, Department of Conservative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile. adezerega@gmail.com
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dezerega
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Osorio
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mardones
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mundi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dutzan
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Franco
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gamonal
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oyarzún
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Overall
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hernández
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D058070:Asymptomatic Diseases; D001706:Biopsy; D015153:Blotting, Western; D054410:Chemokine CCL7 / Q000032:analysis*; D002634:Chemotaxis, Leukocyte / Q000276:immunology*; D003786:Dental Pulp Cavity / Q000276:immunology; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000276:immunology; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000276:immunology; D005122:Exudates and Transudates / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D010484:Periapical Granuloma / Q000276:immunology; D010485:Periapical Periodontitis / Q000276:immunology*; D010486:Periapical Tissue / Q000276:immunology; D010513:Periodontal Ligament / Q000276:immunology; D010950:Plasma Cells / Q000276:immunology; D011842:Radicular Cyst / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D054410:Chemokine CCL7