Connexin 43 expression in tooth germ and benign odontogenic tumors.

Oral surgery, oral medicine, oral pathology and oral radiology 2023 May

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The aim of this study was to investigate and compare the immunohistochemical expression of connexin 43 (Cx43) in tooth germs (TGs), ameloblastic fibromas (AFs), ameloblastic fibro-odontomas (AFOs), and conventional ameloblastomas (AMs). Nine TGs, 12 AFs, 12 AFOs, and 27 AMs were evaluated for Cx43 expression by immunohistochemistry. Most of the TGs expressed Cx43 in the mesenchyme (77.6%) and in the late stages of odontogenesis. Cx43 was more highly expressed (P < .05) in the mesenchymal layer of all groups than in the epithelial layer except for the AFOs. When comparing the expression of Cx43 in the different layers of the analyzed groups, statistically significant differences were observed between AFO vs AM (*P = .0158) in the epithelial layer and between AF vs AFO (P** = .0046) in the mesenchymal layer. The results obtained in this study showed that Cx43 is a protein with important expression in the mesenchymal layer of the embryonic and odontogenic tissues studied. It could be speculated that Cx43 participates in mineralization events based on the relationship of the expression of this protein between the epithelial and mesenchymal layers of odontogenic tissues. Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Citation

Felipe Martins Silveira, Nelly Molina-Frechero, Sandra López-Verdín, Natalia González Umpiérrez, Marcelo Gómez Palacio-Gastellum, Oscar Almeda-Ojeda, Rogelio González-González, Manoela Domingues Martins, Estefania Sicco, Vanesa Pereira-Prado, Ronell Bologna-Molina. Connexin 43 expression in tooth germ and benign odontogenic tumors. Oral surgery, oral medicine, oral pathology and oral radiology. 2023 May;135(5):661-668