title: Expression of apoptosis regulatory proteins p53, bcl-2 and bax in recurrent aphthous ulceration.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recurrent aphthous ulceration (RAU) is considered to be an acute inflammatory disease of unknown pathogenesis. Apoptosis may represent an important event in the control of inflammation.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate apoptosis process in RAU using immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied the expression and location of p53, bcl-2 and bax in ulcerated lesions clinically diagnosed as RAU (n = 12) and compared it with that of oral clinically normal mucosa (n = 6) and of other inflammatory chronic disease such as oral fibrous inflammatory hyperplasia (FIH; n = 18).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant statistically differences (n < 0.05) in p53 expression were noticed in RAU when compared with normal mucosa. No significant statistically differences (P > 0.05) were noticed between FIH and RAU. Bcl-2 and bax did not show remarkable differences between groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Taken together, the data suggest that RAU induces p53 immunoexpression. Therefore, the protein might be related to the aetiopathogenesis of the ulcerated oral lesions.
authors.affiliation: Departamentos de Patologia             Biociências, Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo - UNIFESP, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: J F N
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Pinto Rodrigues
authors.forename: C T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Fujiyama Oshima
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Ribeiro Paiotti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Franco
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Miki Ihara
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D012008:Recurrence; D013281:Stomatitis, Aphthous / Q000378:metabolism*; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism*; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein