ADHESION MOLECULES IN EPITHELIAL ODONTOGENIC LESIONS.

Junctional complexes are important in maintaining epithelial cell polarity and cell-cell interactions and are known to be involved in tooth development; thus the purpose of the present study was to investigate the immunohistochemical profile of beta-catenin, gamma-catenin and P-cadherin in 41 epithelial odontogenic lesions (5 radicular cysts, 17 keratocystic odontogenic tumors, 3 dentigerous cysts, 6 calcifying odontogenic cysts, 9 ameloblastomas and one ameloblastic carcinoma). Positive immunostaining was obtained in all cystic lesions as well as in ameloblastomas for the three proteins. Weak staining of beta-catenin and gamma-catenin and absence of P-cadherin expression were observed in ameloblastic carcinoma. These results denote more cytodifferentiation of odontogenic epithelium in ameloblastoma and let us speculate that loss of P-cadherin expression may have a role in transition from benign (ameloblastoma) to malignant phenotype (ameloblastic carcinoma) . Nuclear and cytoplasmic expressions of beta-catenin in half of examined calcifying odontogenic cysts and in ameloblastomas and ameloblastic carcinoma cases suggest deregulation of this protein and reinforce the role of Wnt-beta-catenin- TCF-Lef pathway in the pathogenesis and/or behavior of such lesions.