Expressions of RANK, RANKL, OPG and CD34 in the dental sac of human tooth germs at the bell stage

Abstract

Objective: To determine the expression and topographic distribution of RANK, RANKL, OPG, and CD34 in different regions of the dental sac of human tooth germs at the bell stage of dental development. 

Methods: A descriptive and observational study will be conducted. Human tooth germs at the bell stage will be used, obtained from four paraffin blocks belonging to the archive of the Histology Department of the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of the Republic (UdelaR). Tissue samples will be stained with hematoxylin and eosin for routine morphological analysis and will be supplemented with specific immunohistochemical techniques for the identification of CD34, RANK, RANKL, and OPG. Using light microscopy, cells positive for each marker will be quantified in the inner and outer layers, as well as in areas homologous to the apical, coronal, and intermediate zones of the tooth germ.

Expected Results:The expression of CD34, RANK, RANKL, and OPG is expected to be verified in the histological components of different sectors of the dental sac in a tooth germ at the bell stage. These findings will allow the molecular presence of the RANK/RANKL/OPG pathway to be correlated with the local regulation of peripheral bone remodeling, essential for future dental initiation processes.

Furthermore, the detection of CD34 will provide key information on intrinsic angiogenic potential and the presence of progenitor stem cell niches, contributing to elucidating the initial cellular mechanisms of odontogenesis.