Postgraduate program of Dental science, Concentration area in Stomatology and Oral Pathology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil.
Braz Dent J. 2023 Nov-Dec;34(6):110-120. doi: 10.1590/0103-6440202305452.
Tooth development depends on a series of reciprocal signaling interactions between the oral epithelium and ectomesenchyme. This study aimed to investigate the role of CK14, a protein involved in Wnt-1/β-catenin signaling, in odontogenesis and the development of odontomas. This cross-sectional, retrospective, immunohistochemical study analyzed 30 compound odontomas, 30 complex odontomas, and 17 tooth germs. Higher immunoexpression of CK14 was observed in odontogenic epithelial cells of tooth germs (p < 0.001) and odontogenic epithelial cells of odontomas (p < 0.001). There was higher immunoexpression of Wnt-1 and β-catenin proteins in epithelial cells of tooth germs (p = 0.002 and p < 0.001, respectively), as well as in the ectomesenchyme of odontomas (p = 0.003 and p < 0.001, respectively). β-Catenin was moderately and significantly correlated with CK14 in the membrane of reduced enamel epithelial cells in odontomas (p = 0.007). Higher immunoexpression of CK14 was observed in the odontogenic epithelium during the bud and cap stages and lower immunoexpression in the internal enamel epithelium during the bell stage. In odontomas, lower expression of Wnt-1/β-catenin and higher immunoexpression of CK14 were found in odontogenic epithelial cells, especially adjacent to the mineralized material resembling the tooth formed in these lesions.
牙齿的发育依赖于口腔上皮和外胚间充质之间一系列相互的信号传递作用。本研究旨在探讨 CK14（一种参与 Wnt-1/β-连环蛋白信号通路的蛋白）在牙发生和牙瘤发育中的作用。这项横断面、回顾性免疫组织化学研究分析了 30 例复合性牙瘤、30 例复杂性牙瘤和 17 个牙胚。牙胚的牙源性上皮细胞（p<0.001）和牙瘤的牙源性上皮细胞中 CK14 的免疫表达更高。牙胚的上皮细胞中 Wnt-1 和 β-连环蛋白蛋白的免疫表达更高（p=0.002 和 p<0.001），牙瘤的外胚间充质中也有更高的免疫表达（p=0.003 和 p<0.001）。β-连环蛋白与牙瘤中釉质上皮细胞内的 CK14 膜中度且显著相关（p=0.007）。在牙胚的芽和帽阶段观察到 CK14 的免疫表达更高，而在内釉上皮的钟状阶段则更低。在牙瘤中，Wnt-1/β-连环蛋白的表达较低，CK14 的免疫表达较高，尤其是在与这些病变中形成的矿化物质相似的牙源性上皮细胞附近。
