title: Effect of hyperbaric oxygen treatment on irradiated oral mucosa: microvessel density.
abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) on microvascular tissue and cell proliferation in the oral mucosa. Twenty patients, aged 51-78 years, were allocated randomly to a treatment or a control group. All had a history of radiotherapy (50-70 Gy) to the orofacial region 2-6 years previously. Tissue samples were taken from the irradiated buccal oral mucosa before HBOT and at 6 months after treatment. In the control group, tissue samples were taken on two occasions, 6 months apart. The samples were subjected to immunohistochemistry staining: double staining with CD31 and D2-40 for microvessels, or Ki-67 for the analysis of cell proliferation. Blood vessel density and area were significantly increased after HBOT (P=0.002-0.041). D2-40-positive lymphatic vessels were significantly increased in number and area in the sub-epithelial area (P=0.002 and P=0.019, respectively). No significant differences were observed in the control group. There were no significant differences in Ki-67-expressing epithelial cells between the two groups. It is concluded that the density and area of blood and lymphatic vessels in the irradiated mucosa are increased by HBOT 6 months after therapy. Epithelial cell proliferation is not affected by HBOT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Dentistry - Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway; Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway. Electronic address: Jarle.Svalestad@iko.uib.no.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Svalestad
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Dentistry - Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hellem
authors.affiliation: Hyperbaric Medical Unit, Department of Occupational Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway; Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Thorsen
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine, The Gade Laboratory for Pathology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway; Department of Pathology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Johannessen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006931:Hyperbaric Oxygenation; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D055806:Microvessels / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
keywords: angiogenesis; cell proliferation; immunohistochemistry; microvascular tissue; radiotherapy