Immunohistochemical expression of p63, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and notch-1 in radicular cysts, dentigerous cysts and keratocystic odontogenic tumors

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the immunohistochemical expression of p63 protein, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and Notch-1 in the epithelial lining of radicular cysts (RC), dentigerous cysts (DC) and keratocystic odontogenic tumors (KOT). For this study, 35 RC, 22 DC and 17 KOT were used. The clinical and epidemiological data were collected from the patient charts filed in the Oral Pathology Laboratory, University of Ribeirão Preto, Brazil. Immunohistochemical reactions against the p63, EGFR and Notch-1 were performed in 3-µm-thick histological sections. The slides were evaluated according to the following criteria: negative: <5% of positive cells, low expression: 5-50% of positive cells, and high expression: >50% of positive cells. Moreover, the intensity of EGFR and Notch-1 expressions was also evaluated. Fisher's exact test and Spearman's correlation coefficients were used for statistical analysis, considering a significance level of 5%. Almost all cases demonstrated p63, EGFR and Notch-1 expressions. The p63 expression was significantly higher in KOT (p<0.001). Positive correlation between these immunomarkers was observed. These findings suggest the participation of p63, EGFR and Notch-1 in the development, maintenance and integrity of cystic odontogenic epithelial lining, favoring lesion persistence. The high expression of p63 in KOT suggests that it may be related to their more aggressive biological behavior and marked tendency to recurrence.

A molecular insight in the prevalence of odontogenic tumor

“…[13] EGFR is mostly found in the epithelial component of human tooth germ, cystic odontogenic lesions, and OT, which signifies its potential role in the normal osteogenesis and development of these lesions. [14] Hepatocyte growth factor and TGF-β expressions were collectively found in epithelial and mesenchymal cells of germs of tooth origin in adding to OT of epithelial origin, and their reactivity wad seen in epithelium which is close to the basement membrane. [5] Fibroblastic growth factor signaling has strategic roles in embryonic development and differentiation.…”

Association Between Radiographic Features and Cell Proliferation in Keratocystic Odontogenic Tumor

“…Protein p63 plays an important role in proliferative activity during the development of craniofacial tissues (Lo Muzio et al, 2005;Gonçalves et al, 2012). In adult tissues, this protein is expressed in the basal layer of the stratified epithelium where it serves as an inhibitor of cell differentiation, thus playing an important role in the maintenance of the proliferative potential and stem cell profile of epithelial precursors (Nekulova et al, 2011).…”

Participation of hMLH1, p63, and MDM2 proteins in the pathogenesis of syndromic and nonsyndromic keratocystic odontogenic tumors

“…[1][2][3][4] There are uncertainties as to whether differences exist in the biologic behavior of Gorlin syndromeeassociated KOTs (SKOTs) and nonsyndromic KOTs (NSKOTs). In this respect, studies evaluating the proteins involved in cell cycle and apoptosis, [5][6][7] as well as extracellular matrix components 8 and proteases, [7][8][9][10][11] support the existence of a different biologic behavior in SKOTs and NSKOTs.…”

“…Since cystic odontogenic lesions are of epithelial origin, p63 may play an important role in the growth and progression of these lesions. 3 The mismatch repair (MMR) system plays an important role in the maintenance of genetic stability. 12,13 This system is involved in the removal of errors in DNA bases that arise during replication or as a result of DNA damage.…”

“…Other genes in the TP53 gene family, such as TP63 and TP73, exert similar functions in tumor suppression, apoptosis induction, and cell cycle control. 3,5 Several studies have investigated the role of growth factors, tumor suppressor genes, and oncogenes in the onset and progression of KOT using immunohistochemistry. [17][18][19][20][21][22] However, studies focusing on DNA repair proteins are sparse, and there are no studies explaining the participation of hMLH1 and its association with cell cycle a…”