Role of Angiogenetic Markers and CD44 in Mucositis and Peri-implantitis

OBJECTIVES : The imbalance of host-parasite equilibrium in successfully osseointegrated endosteal implants may manifest as a series of changes and complications at gingival tissue level, above all in inflammation and vascularization, which lead to two distinct clinical processes, mucositis or peri-implantitis. Our aim was to investigate the relationship between expression of angiogenic and inflammation/regeneration markers in subjects with successfully osseointegrated endosteal implants affected by mucositis or peri-implantitis

MATERIALS & METHODS : Immunohistochemical detection of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), CD34 and CD44, revealed by streptoavidin-biotin peroxidase technique, was performed in 12 paraffin-embedded tissue sections of: (1) healthy gingiva (controls), (2) gingiva with mucositis (M), (3) gingiva with peri-implantitis (P). All data were statistically analyzed by ANOVA and Bonferroni tests.

RESULTS : VEGF and CD34 expression was significantly increased in endothelial cells from patients with M or P compared to healthy subjects (p