Assessing the contribution of HRPT2 to the pathogenesis of jaw fibrous dysplasia, ossifying fibroma, and osteosarcoma.

Objective: To investigate HRPT2 in jaw ossifying fibroma (OF), fibrous dysplasia (FD), and osteosarcoma (OS).

Study Design: We combined microsatellite loss of heterozygosity (LOH), HRPT2 sequence alterations at the mRNA level by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR), cDNA sequencing, and quantitative PCR (qPCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) in a total of 19 OF, 15 FD, and 9 OS. Because HRPT2 (parafibromin) interacts with cyclin D1, we investigated cyclin D1 expression with the use of qPCR and IHC.

Wilms Tumor 1 protein is not expressed in oral lymphangiomas.

Lymphangiomas are benign hamartomatous lesions of lymphatic vessels. Wilms Tumor 1 (WT1) is a transcription factor that is activated in some human neoplasias. WT1 protein expression is observed in endothelial cells during angiogenesis and is a useful marker to distinguish between vascular proliferations and vascular malformations.

Evidence of molecular alterations in the tumour suppressor gene WWOX in benign and malignant bone related lesions of the jaws.

WWOX is a tumour suppressor gene altered in various human neoplasms. Deletion of WWOX is associated with bone metabolic defects and development of osteosarcoma in mice. We hypothesized that alterations of this gene are associated with the development of benign and malignant mesenchymal bone related lesions of the jaws.