This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow E-mail this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ASM journals
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Tonetti, M. S.
Right arrow Articles by Lang, N. P.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Tonetti, M. S.
Right arrow Articles by Lang, N. P.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Infection and Immunity, November 1998, p. 5190-5195, Vol. 66, No. 11
0019-9567/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

In Situ Detection of Apoptosis at Sites of Chronic Bacterially Induced Inflammation in Human Gingiva

Maurizio S. Tonetti,* Davide Cortellini, and Niklaus P. Lang

Pathophysiology Unit, Department of Periodontology, School of Dental Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland

Received 23 March 1998/Returned for modification 11 May 1998/Accepted 7 August 1998

Apoptosis is a key phenomenon in the regulation of the life span of terminally differentiated leukocytes. Human gingiva represents an established model to study immune responses to bacterial infection. In this investigation, we used the TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling) technique to evaluate presence and topographic location of apoptosis-associated DNA damage in human gingival biopsies along with the expression of the p53 and Bcl-2 apoptosis-regulating proteins. Qualitative data analysis showed high densities of cells expressing DNA damage and p53 both within the epithelial attachment to the tooth and in the perivascular infiltrate (infiltrated connective tissue [ICT]) immediately underlying the site of chronic bacterial aggression. Topographic consistency between DNA damage- and p53-positive cells was consistently observed. Quantitative analysis of the ICT showed mean densities of DNA damage- and p53-positive cells of 345 ± 278 and 403 ± 182 cells/mm2, respectively. Numerical consistency was confirmed by multivariate regression analysis: densities of DNA damage-positive cells were significantly predicted by densities of p53-positive cells (P = 0.001, r2 = 0.84). In the ICT, cells displaying biotinylated DNA nicks were 3.8% ± 2.7% of total cellularity, while p53- and Bcl-2-positive cells represented 4.4% ± 1.7% and 15.4% ± 6.7% of total cells, respectively. It is suggested that p53 expression associated with DNA damage is a prevalent phenomenon in chronically inflamed human gingiva, and that apoptosis may be a relevant process for the maintenance of local immune homeostasis at sites of chronic bacterial challenge in vivo.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: University of Bern, Freiburgstrasse 7, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland. Phone: 41-31-6328605. Fax: 41-31-6324931. E-mail: tonetti{at}zmk.unibe.ch.

Infection and Immunity, November 1998, p. 5190-5195, Vol. 66, No. 11
0019-9567/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


This article has been cited by other articles:

  • O'Brien-Simpson, N. M., Pathirana, R. D., Walker, G. D., Reynolds, E. C. (2009). Porphyromonas gingivalis RgpA-Kgp Proteinase-Adhesin Complexes Penetrate Gingival Tissue and Induce Proinflammatory Cytokines or Apoptosis in a Concentration-Dependent Manner. Infect. Immun. 77: 1246-1261 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Ghosh, A., Park, J. Y., Fenno, C., Kapila, Y. L. (2008). Porphyromonas gingivalis, Gamma Interferon, and a Proapoptotic Fibronectin Matrix Form a Synergistic Trio That Induces c-Jun N-Terminal Kinase 1-Mediated Nitric Oxide Generation and Cell Death. Infect. Immun. 76: 5514-5523 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Tang, W., Liu, Q., Wang, X., Wang, P., Cao, B., Mi, N., Zhang, J. (2008). Involvement of Caspase 8 in Apoptosis Induced by Ultrasound-Activated Hematoporphyrin in Sarcoma 180 Cells In Vitro. J Ultrasound Med 27: 645-656 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Handfield, M., Baker, H.V., Lamont, R.J. (2008). Beyond Good and Evil in the Oral Cavity: Insights into Host-Microbe Relationships Derived from Transcriptional Profiling of Gingival Cells. JDR 87: 203-223 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Kantarci, A., Augustin, P., Firatli, E., Sheff, M.C., Hasturk, H., Graves, D.T., Trackman, P.C. (2007). Apoptosis in Gingival Overgrowth Tissues. JDR 86: 888-892 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Sheets, S. M., Potempa, J., Travis, J., Fletcher, H. M., Casiano, C. A. (2006). Gingipains from Porphyromonas gingivalis W83 Synergistically Disrupt Endothelial Cell Adhesion and Can Induce Caspase-Independent Apoptosis. Infect. Immun. 74: 5667-5678 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Leone, C. W., Bokhadhoor, H., Kuo, D., Desta, T., Yang, J., Siqueira, M. F., Amar, S., Graves, D. T. (2006). Immunization Enhances Inflammation and Tissue Destruction in Response to Porphyromonas gingivalis. Infect. Immun. 74: 2286-2292 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Brozovic, S., Sahoo, R., Barve, S., Shiba, H., Uriarte, S., Blumberg, R. S., Kinane, D. F. (2006). Porphyromonas gingivalis enhances FasL expression via up-regulation of NF{kappa}B-mediated gene transcription and induces apoptotic cell death in human gingival epithelial cells.. Microbiology 152: 797-806 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Sheets, S. M., Potempa, J., Travis, J., Casiano, C. A., Fletcher, H. M. (2005). Gingipains from Porphyromonas gingivalis W83 Induce Cell Adhesion Molecule Cleavage and Apoptosis in Endothelial Cells. Infect. Immun. 73: 1543-1552 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Alikhani, M., Alikhani, Z., He, H., Liu, R., Popek, B. I., Graves, D. T. (2003). Lipopolysaccharides Indirectly Stimulate Apoptosis and Global Induction of Apoptotic Genes in Fibroblasts. J. Biol. Chem. 278: 52901-52908 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Dickinson, D.P. (2002). CYSTEINE PEPTIDASES OF MAMMALS: THEIR BIOLOGICAL ROLES AND POTENTIAL EFFECTS IN THE ORAL CAVITY AND OTHER TISSUES IN HEALTH AND DISEASE. CROBM 13: 238-275 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Graves, D.T., Oskoui, M., Voleinikova, S., Naguib, G., Cai, S., Desta, T., Kakouras, A., Jiang, Y. (2001). Tumor Necrosis Factor Modulates Fibroblast Apoptosis, PMN Recruitment, and Osteoclast Formation in Response to P. gingivalis Infection. JDR 80: 1875-1879 [Abstract]  
  • Kurita-Ochiai, T., Ochiai, K., Fukushima, K. (2000). Butyric-acid-induced Apoptosis in Murine Thymocytes and Splenic T- and B-cells Occurs in the Absence of p53. JDR 79: 1948-1954 [Abstract]  
  • POLLANEN, M.T., SALONEN, J.I., GRENIER, D., UITTO, V.-J. (2000). Epithelial cell response to challenge of bacterial lipoteichoic acids and lipopolysaccharides in vitro. J Med Microbiol 49: 245-252 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2010 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»