135: Values of TNF alpha in cystic fluid in odontogenic tumor depending on macrophage number in cystic wall

Abstract

The aggressive behavior and high recurrence rate of odontogenic keratocyst suggests their neoplastic potential and prompted the World Health Organization Working Group to classify it as a benign tumor with odontogenic epithelium. Since, TNF- α is a pleiotropic cytokine, that is considered as a primary modifier of inflammatory and immune reaction in response to various inflammatory diseases and tumor as well, it is very interesting to analyzed their concentration in our type of tumor. We analyzed concentration of TNF- α in cystic fluid of 25 odontogenic keratocysts, confirmed by histopathology and obtained from patients undergoing surgery, under local anesthesia, and after aspiration of cystic fluid from non-ruptured cysts. TNF- α was determined by ELISA assay, using original instructions. Presence of inflammatory cells in peri-cystic tissues and macrophages was analyzed by immunohistochemistry, using monoclonal antibodies for detection of CD3, CD20, and CD68 cells on tissues section. Cell caunt was expressed as percentage of these cells of the total cell population. Degree of vascularisation and presence of macrophages was estimated by enumeration using light microscopy. Results shows that TNF- α is detectable in cysts fluid, but in low values in all investigated cyst (range from 20–50 pg/ml). All cysts have a similar concentration of TNF- α in cystic fluid, irrespective of the cystic wall thickness, protein concentration, the number of inflammed cells, degree of epithelium proliferation and presence of vascularisation having been analyzed histologically (Mann–Whitney U-test, p > 0.05). These results indicated that our type of tumor have a low level of TNF- α and low inflammation in comparison to other inflammatory cystic type in oral region, that have a much more elevated TNF- α level.