Studies in non-dental embryonic tissues have suggested that an interaction between growth hormone and its receptor may play a role in growth and development before the foetal pituitary gland is competent. This study reports the distribution of growth hormone, its receptor and binding protein in developing rat tooth germs from embryonic day 17 to 21 and postnatal day 0 using antibodies specific for each of these proteins. Four foetal rats were processed at each time point (E17, E18, E20/21 and postnatal day 0). Following routine fixation and paraffin embedding, sections were treated with antisera to rat growth hormone, rat growth hormone binding protein and growth hormone receptor. Localization of antibody/antigen complexes was subsequently visualized by addition of biotinylated IgG and reaction with streptavidin peroxidase and diaminobenzidine. Assessment of the level of staining was qualitative and based on a subjective rankings ranging from equivocal to very strong staining. Overall, growth hormone and its binding protein were located both in the cellular elements and throughout the extracellular matrix, whereas the growth hormone receptor showed an exclusively intra-cellular location. All three proteins were detectable in cells of the dental epithelium and mesenchyme at the primordial bud stage (E17) which occurs prior to expression of pituitary growth hormone. At the cap stage of odontogenesis (E18-19), numerous cells in both the dental epithelium and mesenchyme were intensely immunoreactive for growth hormone, its binding protein and receptor. In the succeeding early bell stage (E20-21), most of the mesenchymal cells in the dental pulp were mildly positive for these proteins, while the dental epithelium and adjacent mesenchyme were more immunoreactive. At the late bell stage (postnatal day 0), all three proteins were localized in dental epithelium, differentiating mesenchymal cells the cuspal surface facing the epithelial-mesenchymal interface, preodontoblasts, and odontoblasts forming dentine. From these observations, immunoreactive growth hormone, its receptor and binding protein appear to be expressed in odontogenic cells undergoing histodifferentiation, morphodifferentiation and dentinogenesis in a cell-type and stage-specific pattern throughout embryonic tooth development. This suggests the possibility that growth hormone, or a growth hormone-like protein, plays a paracrine/autocrine role in tooth development in utero.
ABSTRACT. We investigate whether three common polymorphisms in ERCC1 and ERCC2 are predictor factors for the chemotherapy response, as well as the clinic outcome of patients with gastric cancer. Between May 2011 and May 2013, 263 patients with gastric cancer who were newly diagnosed by histopathology were enrolled in our study. Genotyping of the ERCC1 rs11615 and rs3212986, and ERCC2 rs1799793 polymorphisms were conducted by the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism assay. Patients carrying the TT genotype and TT+CT genotype of ERCC1 rs11615 were associated with poorer response to chemotherapy and shorter survival times when compared with the CC genotype. In conclusion, our results suggested that the ERCC1 rs11615 polymorphism in the DNA repair pathways can be used as predictive factors to the clinical outcome of patients with gastric cancer.
Introduction: Routine intraoperative cholangiogram (IOC) during laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) helps to confirm biliary anatomy and reduce bile leaks. It also allows identification of common bile duct stones intraoperatively which in selected patients can be cleared transcystically in the same procedure which is much less morbid than through post-operative endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). Despite this, some surgeons only selectively perform IOC or forgot it all together.
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