Patients with saliva samples demonstrating low epidermal growth factor and low vascular endothelial growth factor also had low scores on the Beck Depression Inventory and the UCLA Loneliness Scale. The results were presented by Tricia Ruth Crosby, DDS, and were summarized in the November 2005 issue of Skin &Allergy News.
Previous studies have linked psychosocial factors such as elevated depression to delayed healing of oral wounds. A correlation between psychosocial factors and growth factor expression in saliva may explain this delay, according to Dr. Crosby and colleagues. The patients in this study contributed saliva samples, and also completed a depression questionnaire on the same day. Significant correlations appeared among lower salivary epidermal growth factor levels and low scores of the Beck Depression Inventory and the UCLA Loneliness Scale. Subjects aged 18 to 35 years showed a measurable correlation; however, subjects aged 50 years and older did not.
The goal of periodontal treatments is the complete restoration of the structure and function of damaged periodontal tissues. Although it is very difficult to attain this goal, recent advances in periodontal wound healing concepts encourage hope of reaching it. Through reconsideration of the general concepts of wound healing and a review of the key and current literature on periodontal tissue regeneration, it is currently promised that this goal will be accomplished possibly by 1) spontaneous inherent tissue regeneration elicited by the elimination of causal factors; 2) guided tissue regeneration by the selective guidance of periodontal ligament cell proliferation; and 3) inductive tissue regeneration through recent advances in cellular biology.
Oral tissue engineering for transplantation to aid wound healing in mouth (oral cavity) reconstruction has taken a significant step forward with a Netherlands-based research team's successful development of a gum tissue (gingival) substitute that can be used for reconstruction in the oral cavity. Their work was reported in the current issue of Cell Transplantation.
According to the study's lead author, Dr. Susan Gibbs of the VU University Medical Centre in Amsterdam, skin substitutes have been far more advanced than oral gingiva substitutes and, until now, no oral tissue-engineered products have been available for clinical applications. The team was the first to develop an autologous (same patient) full thickness skin substitute that Dr. Gibbs says is "proving to be very successful." However, they wanted to develop an autologous, full thickness oral substitute with the correct oral characteristics.
"Reconstructive surgery within the oral cavity is required during tumor excision, cleft palate repair, trauma, repair of diseased tissue and for generating soft tissue around teeth and dental implants," explained Dr. Gibbs. "Drawbacks of using skin as an autograft material in the oral cavity include bulkiness, sweating and hair formation and the limited amount of donor tissue available."
Their current study was aimed at constructing analogous, full-thickness oral substitutes in a similar manner to their skin substitute while maintaining the needed characteristics for successful oral transplantation. They used small amounts of patient oral tissue obtained from biopsies, then cultured and expanded the tissues in vitro over a three-week period.
Results of their study with a small number of patients showed that the gingiva substitute was "promising" and supported the need to carry out a larger patient study in the future.
