Expression of heat shock proteins in periapical granulomas.

Introduction: Cells from virtually all organisms respond to a variety of stresses by the rapid synthesis of a highly conserved set of polypeptides termed heat shock proteins (HSPs). HSPs protect cells under adverse conditions such as infection, inflammation, and disease. We hypothesize that endodontic infection might result in an imbalance in the expression of heat shock genes, accounting for different clinical outcomes in periapical lesions.