• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.290-303
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• 2006

Tooth eruption is a complex and tightly regulated process that involves cells of the tooth organ and the surrounding alveolus. Osteoclast precursors must be recruited into the dental follicle prior to the onset of eruption. This function of dental follicle may be regarded as the ability of bone remodeling characterized by the interaction of osteoclasts and osteoblasts. This is because tooth eruption is a localized event in which many of the genes required for eruption are expressed in the dental follicle. RANKL is a membrane-bound protein that is a member of the TNF ligand family. which is present on bone marrow stromal cells and osteoblasts, and induces osteoclast formation and activation from precursor cell. The biologic effect of RANKL is inhibited by OPG and, in bone, the relative ratio of RANKL and OPG modulates osteoclastogenesis. To evaluate the roles of RANKL and OPG in tooth eruption and the relations with the expression pattern of Runx2, in situ hybridization was performed with mandibles of mice at postnatal stage 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11. mRNA of RANKL, OPG, and Runx2 are expressed in dental follicle and surrounding tissue from P1 to 11. To determine the sites of osteoclastic activity during tooth eruption, mandibles were dissected. Peak osteoclastic activity in alveolar bone along the occlusal and basal regions was observed from P5 to 9, with osteoclasts in these regions being large and strongly TRAP-positive The specific spatio-temporal expression patterns of RANKL, OPG, and Runx2 in our study suggest that tooth eruption could be progressed through the interactions of molecular signaling among dental follicle, dental organ and alveolar bone, furthermore it means that dental follicle is quite important in tooth eruption In addition, it indicates that these genes (RANKL, OPG, and Runx2) play critical roles in tooth eruption.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.303-314
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• 2001

Background : Matrix metalioproteinase(MMP)-2 and MMP-9 have been known to play an important role in cell migration and the tissue remodeling process by type IV collagen lysis, a major component of the basement membrane. Intra-alveolar fibrosis, secondary to an injury to the basement membrane of the alveolar epithelial lining, is a major process in the pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis(IPF). Therefore, MMP-2 and MMP-9 was hypothesized to play an important role in IPF pathogenesis. As a result, their level may reflect the activity or prognosis. Method : Forty one progressive IPF patients(age $59.82{\pm}1.73$ years, M:F=23:18), 16 patients with stable IPF for more than one year without therapy(age : $63.6{\pm}2.8$ years, M:F=13:3), and 7 normal controls were enrolled in this study. The MMP-2 and MMP-9 levels in the BAL fluid and alveolar macrophage conditioned media(AM-CM) were measured by zymography and the TIMP-1 level was measured by ELISA. Results : 1) The MMP-2 level in BALF was highest in the progressive IPF group ($1.36{\pm}0.28$) followed by the stable group ($0.46{\pm}0.13$) and the controls ($0.08{\pm}0.09$), which was statistically significant. The MMP-9 level of the IPF ($0.31{\pm}0.058$) and the stable group ($0.22{\pm}0.078$) were higher than that of the control group ($0.002{\pm}0.004$). In the AM-CM, only MMP-9 was detected, which was significantly higher in IPF group ($0.80{\pm}0.1O$) than in the control group($0.23{\pm}0.081$). The TIMP-1 level was also higher in both the IPF ($36.34{\pm}8.62\;{\mu}g/ml$) and stable group ($20.83{\pm}8.53\;{\mu}g/ml$) compared to the control group ($2.80{\pm}1.05\;{\mu}g/ml$) (p<0.05). 3) There was a correlation between the MMP-2 level in the BALF with the total cell number(r=0.298) and neutrophils(r=0.357) (p<0.05), and the MMP-9 level with the number of neutrophils (r=0.407) and lymphocytes (r=0.574)(p<0.05). The TIMP-1 level correlated with the total number of cell (r=0.338, p<0.05) and neutrophils(r=0.449, p=0.059). Conclusion : Both MMP and TIMP appear to play an important role in IPF pathogenesis, and their level may reflect the disease activity.

• The korean journal of orthodontics
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• v.31 no.5 s.88
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• pp.525-534
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• 2001

Bone remodeling in response to force requires coordinated actions of osteoblasts, osteoclasts, osteocytes, and periodontal ligament cells. Coordination among these cells may be mediated, in part, by cell-to-cell communication via gap junctions. This study was designed to evaluate the expression of gap junction, connection 43 In periodontal tissue during the experimental movement of rat's incisors, by LSAB(labelled streptavidine biotin) immunohistochemical staining for connexin 43. Twenty seven Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into a control group(3 rats), and 6 experimental groups(24 rats) where 75g of force was applied from helical springs across the maxillary incisors. Rats of experimental groups were sacrificed at 12 hours, 1, 4, 7, 14 and 28 days after force application, respectively. And the tissues of a control group and experimental groups were studied immunohistochemically. The results were as follows : 1. In control group, the expression of connexin 43 was rare in gingiva, dentin, cementum, periodontal ligament, and bone cells. 2. In experimental group, the expression of connexin 43 was increased in pulp, periodontal ligament, osteoblasts, and osteoclasts, comparing to that in control. And it was rare in gingiva, dentin, and odontoblasts regardless of the duration of force application, which was not different from that of control group. 3. The expression of connexin 43 in pulp of experimental group began to increase in 4-day after force application and got to the highest degree at 7-day. And it decreased after 14-day to be similar to that of control group at 28-day. 4. The expression of connexin 43 in periodontal ligament was noted in small capillaries adjacent to alveolar bone, showing higher intensity of immunolabelling after 4-day And it was stronger in the pressure side than in tension side of periodontal ligament. After 7-day, decrease in connexin 43 expression was observed. 5. The expression of connexin 43 in alveolar bone began to increase 1-day, reached to the highest degree at 4-day, and decreased at 7-day. And the expression in osteoclasts was more than that in osteoblasts or osteocyte at 7-day.