Lourenço Bozzo

Hereditary gingival fibromatosis: Report of an extensive four-generation pedigree

A Brazilian family with hereditary gingival fibromatosis is described with multiple affected subjects in four generations. A total of 50 (48%), of 105 at-risk offspring in a family of 132 members were affected, consistent with an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance. This family appears to represent the largest pedigree with this condition reported in the literature.

Oral manifestations of paracoccidioidomycosis (South American blastomycosis)

Paracoccidioidomycosis (South American blastomycosis) is an uncommon, progressive systemic mycosis, potentially fatal if untreated. It is virtually restricted to persons spending time in Latin America. Reports of oral lesions are extremely rare in the English-language literature. Three adults with oral lesions as the first sign of paracoccidioidomycosis are described; this appears to be the largest series in the dental literature. The oral lesions had a characteristic appearance with a granular purpuric surface. The upper gingiva was a typical site, but lesions were also seen in the palate, tongue, and buccal mucosa. Two of the patients proved to have detectable pulmonary involvement. Long-term systemic ketoconazole therapy produced resolution of oral lesions in all cases.

Comparação microscópica e proliferativa de fibroblastos gengivais de pacientes com gengiva normal e com fibromatose gengival hereditária

Fibromatose gengival hereditaria (FGH) e uma condicao bucal rara clinicamente manifestada por um aumento gengival generalizado e fibrotico, podendo apresentar-se de forma isolada ou associada a outras alteracoes, como parte de sindromes. Os mecanismos biologicos envolvidos na FGH sao desconhecidos, e os resultados de estudos de cultura celulares sao controversos. Para elucidar as caracteristicas fenotipicas dos fibroblastos de FGH, nos isolamos quatro linhagens celulares de fibroblastos de FGH de individuos de uma mesma familia e comparamos as caracteristicas morfologicas e proliferativas com fibroblastos provenientes de pacientes com gengiva clinicamente normal (GN). Fibroblastos de GN e FGH em condicoes de subconfluencia celular apresentaram tipicas caracteristicas morfologicas, como formato fusiforme, nucleo central e longos prolongamentos citoplasmaticos, mas em condicoes de saturacao da densidade celular, os fibroblastos de FGH apresentaram dimensoes menores que as celulas controle. A relacao nucleo/citoplasma foi sempre menor para todas as linhagens celulares de fibroblastos de FGH, sugerindo que a reducao celular, e proveniente de uma reducao ou compactacao citoplasmatica e nao nuclear. A capacidade proliferativa de fibroblastos de FGH foi maior que a de fibroblastos de GN. Estes resultados sugerem que diferencas morfologicas e proliferativas dos fibroblastos de FGH podem estar associadas aos eventos biologicos envolvidos na etiopatogenia do aumento gengival observado em pacientes com FGH.

Lipid components of human dental periapical lesions: Histochemical and histophysical observations

Abstract The distribution of different kinds of lipid was studied by histochemical and histophysical methods in human dental periapical lesions. After extraction of the implicated tooth, the lesion was separated from the root and subjected to special methods for detection of lipids. Staining with Sudan black B and with Nile blue sulfate and the use of acid hematein, osmium tetroxide, and birefringence were the techniques employed. Some methods for extracting lipids were used as controls. Different types of lipid were observed in the different stages of the lesions. Glycerides, free and esterified cholesterol, and phospholipids were found in these lesions. These lipids change quantitatively and qualitatively with the type of lesion.