Gene Expression of IGF-R Isoforms in Periontium of Orthodontic Patients

INSULIN LIKE GROWTH FACTOR 1 (IGF-1) PLAY A CRUCIAL ROLE IN THE MAINTENANCE AND HOMEOSTASIS OF PERIODONTAL TISSUES IN BOTH HEALTH AND DISEASE. IGF-1 ACTS TO ITS TARGET MOLECULES VIA A COMPLEX RECEPTOR SYSTEM. SUCH SYSTEM INVOLVES VARIOUS RECEPTOR MOLECULES PRODUCED PRIMARILY VIA ALTERNATIVE SPLICING OF THE SAME mRNA PRODUCT OF ONE UNIQUE IGF-1 GENE.THESE ALTERNATIVE PRODUCTS ARE DEFINED AS IGF-1R EA, IGF-1R EB AND IGF-1R EC (OR MECHANOGROWTH FACTOR RECEPTOR) (MGF). OBJECTIVES:THE MAJOR OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE EXPRESSION PATTERN OF SUCH RECEPTOR COMPLEX IN HEALTHY AND HYPERPLASTIC SITES FROM THE PERIODONTIUM OF ORTHODONTICALLY TREATED PATIENTS. PERIODONTAL TISSUES WERE HARVESTED FROM 6 PATIENTS UNDERGOING ORTHODONTIC THERAPY AFTER A CONSENT FORM HAD BEEN INFORMED METHODS: SEMIQUANTIVE RT-PCR ANALYSIS WAS USED TO ASSESS GENE EXPRESSION LEVELS OF THE VARIOUS RECEPTOR PRODUCTS. RESULTS: MECHANOGROWTH FACTOR RECEPTOR GENE EXPESSION WAS FOUND TO BE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT (p<0.05) OVEREXPESSED IN HYPERPLASTIC SITES IN ORTHODONTICALLY TREATED PATIENTS. CONCLUSIONS: RESULTS PROVIDE EVIDENCE OF THE POSSIBLE INVOLVEMENT OF MGF TO THE PATHOGENESIS OF HYPERPLASIAS IN THE PERIODONTIUM OF ORTHODONTIC PATIENTS