정상치배 발생과정과 법랑아세포종에서 Transforming growth factor-beta 발현에 관한 면역조직화학적 연구

AN IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL STUDY ON THE EXPRESSION OF TGF-β IN THE AMELOBLASTOMA AND DEVELOPING TOOTH GERM OF HUMAN EMBRYO AND FETUSES

Dysregulation of TGF-β that is a modulator of cell growth and differentiation can result in uncontrolled growth and tumor formation. Monitoring these pattern of genes and protein expression during tumor development will provide a basis for understanding normal growth and distortion of osteochondrogenesis. Our comparative studies on the experssion of TGF-β protein indicate that TGF-β may primarily be a regulator of epithelial differentiation during tooth development (between 4 weeks and 40 gestational weeks) and tumorigenesis of odontogenic neoplasm (ameloblastoma). In early human tooth germ (cap/early bell stage) TGF-β protein was found in the epithelial dentallamina and enamel orgen. TGF-β experessions were seen in inner and outer dental epithelium during bell stage. During enamel and cementum appositional stage, TGF-β expression shifted from the ameloblast to the odontoblast. In eruption stage, TGF-β expressions look like moderate positive pattern in odontoblast and rare pattern in enamel, dentin and cementum. TGF-β expressions of follicular and plexiform amelobalstoma are moderate positive reaction in ectodermal tumor components and mild positive in vessels of stroma tissue. In acanthomatous type, TGF-β expression was shown severely positive finding in stellate reticulum cell. TGF-β expressions were noted moderate reaction in margin of tumor epithelium and stellate reticulum cell of granular ameloblastoma. In unicystic ameloblastoma, TGF-β expression was rare feature in cystic luminal epithelium. With these result, I should be suggested that TGF-β may play an important role in epithelial-mesenchymal interactions in human tooth morphogenesis and development of odontogenic epithelial tumors.