title: Immunoexpression of tryptase-positive mast cells in periapical granulomas and radicular cysts.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate and compare the immunoexpression of tryptase in samples of periapical granulomas (PGs) and radicular cysts (RCs) correlating it with the type of lesion, localization, intensity of the inflammatory infiltrate and thickness of the cystic epithelial lining, in order to gain insight into the phlogistic role of these cells in the lesions studied.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-five PGs and twenty-five RCs obtained from human teeth without endodontic treatment were submitted to morphological and immunohistochemical analysis using anti-tryptase antibody. Mast cells were identified and counted in three regions: intra-epithelial, central/superficial and deep portions. The data were analysed using the Mann-Whitney U-test (P < 0.05).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In comparison with RCs, PGs exhibited higher immunoexpression of tryptase-positive mast cells located in both central/superficial and deep regions (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively). When considering the total number of mast cells and disregarding the location, the number of tryptase-positive mast cells increased gradually from RCs to PGs (P < 0.001). Lesions with inflammatory infiltrate grade III had greater number of tryptase-positive mast cells located in both central/superficial and deep regions than lesions with inflammatory infiltrates grade II (P = 0.045 and P = 0.025). When the location was ignored, the lesions with inflammatory infiltrate grade III also exhibited higher immunostaining of tryptase-positive mast cells (P = 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tryptase-positive mast cells were present in chronic periapical lesions in a larger number in periapical granulomas than in radicular cysts, in both central/superficial and deep regions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Costa Neto
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.
authors.forename: A L D L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: de Andrade
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry, State University of Paraíba, Araruna, PB, Brazil.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Gordón-Núñez
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.
authors.forename: R de A
authors.initials: Rde A
authors.lastname: Freitas
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Galvão
mesh_terms: D004848:Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007249:Inflammation; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000276:immunology*; D010484:Periapical Granuloma / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000276:immunology*; D011842:Radicular Cyst / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000276:immunology*; D053802:Tryptases / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D053802:Tryptases
keywords: immunohistochemistry; mast cells; periapical diseases; tryptase