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Nitric Oxide (NO) has been linked to several cardiovascular, neurological and immunological physiological and pathological functions. Several studies have shown that the eNOS, nNOS and iNOS effects on cancer cell growth and proliferation are related to the upregulation of the Wnt pathway and have a central role during metastasis development. Recent studies suggest that cancer cells undergo metabolic reprogramming, which drives cancer cell growth and progression. The aim of this study was to observe the NOS activity in the pathogenesis of oral precancerous and cancerous lesions. The results showed changes in eNOS activity levels, which increased from healthy oral mucosa to oral squamous cell carcinoma SCC, through different dysplasia levels. The iNOS activity levels increased in precancerous lesions compared to healthy mucosa, where iNOS was absent, while it decreased in SCC lesions. Moreover, a gradual increase of nNOS activity together with the progression of the lesions was also found. These results may suggest how NO could play a critical role during pathogenesis, growth and development of precancerous lesions to cancer degeneration.

The aim of this work was to investigate the morphological structure and the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) after maxillary sinus augmentation through equine and porcine bone substitutes in humans.Ten patients showing edentulous posterior maxilla underwent maxillary sinus augmentation through particulate equine bone substitute and 10 patients through particulate porcine bone substitute. At the moment of implants insertion, 6 months after grafting, bone specimens were withdrawn and processed for morphological and immunohistochemical analyses.Notwithstanding the almost comparable clinical performances of both bone substitutes, histological results showed a better integration when an equine bone substitute was used compared to a porcine one. In particular, evident signs of particles resorption were observed in equine bone substitute group specimens compared to porcine ones. Immunohistochemical analysis showed a statistically significant increase of VEGF expression in equine compared to porcine bone substitute group specimens.These results showed both bone substitutes to achieve comparable clinical performance, indicating their successful use for bone regenerative procedures. However, in the same experimental time, equine group specimens showed evident resorption phenomena, whereas no or little signs of resorption were evident in the porcine group specimens. However, a more rapid and intense vascularization was achieved in equine bone substitute group, as demonstrated by immunohistochemical analysis for VEGF expression. Even if differences in vascularization significantly affect the clinical performance of a heterologous bone substitute, its ability to be resorbed is also very important in influencing long-term integration and long-term predictability of implant-prosthetic rehabilitation in regenerated sites

Background: The Procera AllCeram™ system (Nobel Biocare AB, Göteborg, Sweden) is a valid alternative to metal-ceramic restorations. However, limited long-term data of its use for single crowns on natural and implant-supported abutments are available. Purpose: The present study aimed at evaluating the clinical performances of Procera AllCeram single crowns in both anterior and posterior regions of the oral cavity either on natural tooth or implant abutments over a period of 6 years. Materials and methods: Two hundred nine single crowns were fabricated and used in 112 patients. Zinc phosphate and resin luting agents were used to cement the restorations. The crowns were evaluated according to the California Dental Association's quality assessment system. Results: Three crowns were lost at follow-up. Of the 206 restorations, which completed the 6-year follow-up, 9 crowns were affected by mechanical complications and 7 crowns failed. All surviving crowns were ranked as either excellent or acceptable. Cumulative survival and success rates of 95.2 and 90.9%, respectively, were recorded. Conclusions: Within the limitations of the present study, Procera AllCeram crowns proved to be a reliable clinical option to restore both anterior and posterior missing teeth either on natural or implant abutments. The resin cement used in the present study performed better than the zinc phosphate luting agent.

AIM: To evaluate the growth of Human Gingival Fibroblasts (HGFs) cultured onto sample discs of CAD/CAM zirconia and veneering ceramic for zirconia by means of Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) analysis at different experimental times. METHODS: A total of 26 experimental discs, divided into 2 groups, were used: Group A) CAD/CAM zirconia (3Y-TZP) discs (n=13); Group B) veneering ceramic for zirconia discs (n=13). HGFs were obtained from human gingival biopsies, isolated and placed in culture plates. Subsequently, cells were seeded on experimental discs at 7,5×10(3)/cm(2) concentration and cultured for a total of 7 days. Discs were processed for SEM observation at 3h, 24h, 72h and 7 days. RESULTS: In Group A, after 3h, HGFs were adherent to the surface and showed a flattened profile. The disc surface covered by HGFs resulted to be wider in Group A than in Group B samples. At SEM observation, after 24h and 72h, differences in cell attachment were slightly noticeable between the groups, with an evident flattening of HGFs on both surfaces. All differences between Group A and group B became less significant after 7 days of culture in vitro. CONCLUSIONS: SEM analysis of HGFs showed differences in terms of cell adhesion and proliferation, especially in the early hours of culture. Results showed a better adhesion and cell growth in Group A than in Group B, especially up to 72h in vitro. Differences decreased after 7 days, probably because of the rougher surface of CAD/CAM zirconia, promoting better cell adhesion, compared to the smoother surface of veneering ceramic.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate, by morphological and immunohistochemical analyses, the in vivo bone regeneration obtained through a resorbable equine-derived particulate biomaterial, and to compare it with autologous bone from calvaria used for the same purpose. Methods: Patients needing pre-prosthetic rehabilitation of the posterior maxilla were treated with sinus lifting using an equine-derived particulate biomaterial (Group 1) or with onlay graft plus sinus lifting through autologous bone of the calvaria (Group 2), according to the severity and the morphology of the bone defect. Bone specimens were withdrawn from regenerated sites six months after grafting; the behavior of the different grafts was tested by histological and immunohistochemical analysis, with attention to the OPG/RANKL ratio and to the expression of proteins involved in the graft integration process, such as TGFβ1, VEGF, BSP, and SPARC. Results: Morphological analysis reveals remnant granules of biomaterial in Group 1 in parallel to a good integration between autologous bone graft and host tissue. TGFβ1 expression does not show any significant difference in the two groups. OPG/RANKL ratio and VEGF expression appear higher in Group 1, while the expression of BSP and SPARC is higher in Group 2. Conclusions: Our results show that both grafts have a close integration with the host tissue, associated with a comparable clinical performance. However, at the same experimental time, autologous graft triggers a more intense regenerative process, driven by the OPG/RANKL/RANK intracellular signaling system, and an active phase of bone remodeling, as showed by elevated BSP and SPARC expression, probably ensuring a better primary stability of the implant and a high predictability of implant-prosthetic rehabilitation

Chemokines are cytokines with chemotactic properties on inflammatory cells and other cell types. RANTES, MCP-1 and related molecules, constitute the C-C class of chemokine supergene family and a group of cytokines produced by hematopoietic cells, while IL-8 constitute the C-X-C class. The roles of most of these chemokines are not well known, although members of the chemokine family are inflammatory agents. The C-C chemokine plays a role in regulating Th-cell cytokine production and leukocyte trafficking. In this study we clearly show that RANTES and MCP-1 are mediators of acute inflammatory responses. Our report describes additional biological activities for RANTES, MCP-1, and IL-8, suggesting that these chemokines play a fundamental role in histamine and serotonin generation and cell function in mast cells.

Interleukin 12 (IL 12) p35/p40 is a heterodimeric cytokine which plays a critical role in inflammation, immunity and tissue proliferation, and also plays a relevant function in T helper (Th) cell polarization and Th1 T-cell differentiation. IL-12 family members, IL-12p70, IL-23, IL-27 and IL-35, play an important role in influencing helper T-cell differentiation. EBV-induced gene 3 can be associated with the p35 subunit of IL-12 to form the EBI3/p35 heterodimer, also called IL-35. It has been shown that IL-35 has biological activity and able to expand CD4+CD25+ Treg cells, suppress the proliferation of CD4+CD25- effector cells and inhibit Th17 cell polarization. IL-35 has been shown to be constitutively expressed by regulatory T (Treg) cells CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) and suggested to contribute to their suppressive activity. IL-35 is a crucial mediator which provokes CD4+CD25+ T cell proliferation and IL-10 generation, another well-known anti-inflammatory cytokine, along with TGFbeta cytokine. These studies suggest that IL-35, together with other successfully discovered cytokine inhibitors, represents a new potential therapeutic cytokine for chronic inflammation, autoimmunity and other immunological disorders.

Objective: There are no quantitative standards for the volumetric measurements of the airway space after Le Fort III advancement in subjects with Crouzon's syndrome. Recently developed cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) allows measurement of this parameter with high accuracy. Material and Methods: CBCT was used to assess airway space volume in 4 Caucasian subjects affected by craniofacial syndromic malformations (Crouzon) who had received Le Fort III advancement wih distraction. In order to individuate any morphological change in the airway space, also the sagittal, coronal and axial surfaces were calculated. Results: The upper airway space volume was significantly increased after surgery (p

INTRODUCTION: The dental pulp undergoes age-related changes that could be ascribed to physiological, defensive, or pathological irritant-induced changes. These changes are regulated by pulp cell activity and by a variety of extracellular matrix (ECM) macromolecules, playing important roles in growth regulation, tissue differentiation and organization, formation of calcified tissue, and defense mechanisms and reactions to inflammatory stimuli. The aim of this research was to better understand the genetic changes that underlie the histological modification of the dental pulp in aging. METHODS: The gene expression profile of the human dental pulp in young and older subjects was compared by RNA microarray analysis that allowed to simultaneously analyze the expression levels of thousands of genes. Data were statistically analyzed by Significance Analysis of Microarrays (SAM) Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) software. Semiquantitative and real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction analyses were performed to confirm the results. RESULTS: Microarray analysis revealed several differentially expressed genes that were categorized in growth factors, transcription regulators, apoptosis regulators, and genes of the ECM. The comparison analysis showed a high expression level of the biological functions of cell and tissue differentiation, development, and proliferation and of the immune, lymphatic, and hematologic system in young dental pulp, whereas the pathway of apoptosis was highly expressed in older dental pulp. CONCLUSIONS: Expression profile analyses of human dental pulp represent a sensible and useful tool for the study of mechanisms involved in differentiation, growth and aging of human dental pulp in physiological and pathological conditions.

The aim of this study was to characterize the scientific production of Italian Oral Surgery professionals by evaluating different bibliometric indices. The bibliometric evaluation was conducted on the Scopus Database upon all the Active Members joining three important Italian scientific societies in Oral Surgery (SIdCO, SIO, and SICOI). The scientific production was analysed by considering the number of total publications, number of total citations, h-index, and hc-index. Moreover, the overall sample was divided into two groups (Academics and Not Academics), according to the fact the professionals had or not a university position, and then into sub-groups according to the different career lengths. Statistical analyses were performed to compare the scientific productivity amongst groups. For all the considered parameters a lack of homogeneity between groups was reported, and significantly greater mean values were recorded for the Academics compared to the Not Academics Group. Moreover, the h-index values increased more regularly as the career length progressed than the hc-index values, even if the last seemed to be less variable. h- and hc-indices are both stable bibliometric parameters, but as the hc-index values are related not only to the number of citation but also to their age, it seems to be less influenced by the authors’ career length. Bibliometric analysis of the scientific production in dentistry may facilitate the recognition of factors that may further enhance research activity and clinical performance and be useful for a comparative assessment of authors or research groups in terms of quality and quantity of the scientific production.