KLK4 and MMP20 immunoexpression in infiltrative, malign and benign odontogenic tumors

• Grant number: 12/11295-9
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: April 01, 2013
• End date: March 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Dentistry
• Principal Investigator: Marcelo Macedo Crivelini
• Grantee: Marcelo Macedo Crivelini
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Odontologia (FOA). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araçatuba. Araçatuba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Secreted by ameloblasts, the enzymes MMP-20 (enamelisin) and KLK4 (kallikrein 4) play an important role in the enamel matrix degradation during amelogenesis. However, some benign and malignant neoplastic cells have shown the ability to produce them, what seems to increase the tumoral infiltrative and metastatic behavior. Thus, this paper proposes to study the immunoexpression of these enzymes in ameloblastomas (AM), adenomatoid odontogenic tumors (AOT), calcifying epithelial odontogenic tumors (CEOT), keratocyst odontogenic tumors with and without recurrence (KOT and KOTr), and ameloblastic carcinoma (AC). The results will be correlated with the clinical data, allowing discuss the MMP-20 and KLK4 role in the tumoral biology and in the typical infiltration capacity of some of these tumors. (AU)