ABSTRACT
Objectives: In an attempt to elucidate if inducible nitric oxide expression (iNOS)
is correlated with the level of inflammation in periapical cysts with accuracy, the
goal of this study was to evaluate the expression of iNOS in these ones.
Methods: 30 cases were included in this study being iNOS evaluated by means of immunohistochemistry.
Statistical analysis was performed by Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric test followed
by the post-hoc Dunn’s test.
Results: iNOS stain was detected throughout the epithelium, subepithelial fibroblasts
and macrophages in all cases, indistinctly. Nevertheless, iNOS immunostaining in periapical
cysts was different according to the levels of inflammation, being the strongest effect
associated with intense inflammatory infiltrate.
Conclusions: Taken together, our results indicate that immunoreactivity of iNOS was
expressed in several cellular types present in periapical cyst, being positively correlated
with the level of inflammation. Therefore, iNOS expression plays an important role
in the pathogenesis of periapical cysts. (Eur J Dent 2007;1:212-215)
Key words
Periapical cyst - iNOS - Inflammation - Periapical cyst - Immunoreactivity