Abstract :
This study investigated the expression of receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand (RANKL), interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1α), and macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) in fibroblasts within periapical granulomas (PGs), periapical cysts (PCs) and dentigerous cysts (DCs). The expression of these cytokines was evaluated in fibroblasts within PGs (n = 25), PCs (n = 25), and DCs (n = 25) using immunohistochemistry. RANKL expression differed significantly among the three lesion types (p = 0.007), with the highest median immunoreactivity score (IRS) in PCs (11.4; IQR 3.0), followed by PGs (9.0; IQR 3.5) and DCs (8.8; IQR 6.2). M-CSF expression also varied significantly (p = 0.043), being highest in DCs (2.2, IQR 5.6). In contrast, IL-1α expression did not differ significantly among the lesion types (p = 0.196). Lesion-specific analysis showed that RANKL and IL-1α expression were significant in all lesion types (all p-values < 0.05), while M-CSF showed significant expression only in DCs (p = 0.048). In addition, there were significant associations between lesion size and the expression of all three markers in all lesion types (all p-values < 0.05). The differential expression of RANKL, IL-1α, and M-CSF in fibroblasts within PGs, PCs, and DCs reflects their distinct role in lesion pathogenesis and suggests potential contribution to disease progression.
