HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Appendix Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (7) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by van den Bos, T. Articles by Beertsen, W. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by van den Bos, T. Articles by Beertsen, W.

Cementum and Dentin in Hypophosphatasia

¹ Department of Periodontology, Academic Center for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), Universiteit van Amsterdam, and Vrije Universiteit, Louwesweg 1, 1066 EA Amsterdam, The Netherlands;
² Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA;
³ Department of Chemistry, Indiana University-Purdue University, Fort Wayne, IN, USA; and
⁴ Center for Metabolic Bone Disease and Molecular Research, Shriners Hospitals for Children, St. Louis, MO, USA;

^* corresponding author, W.Beertsen{at}acta.nl

Hypophosphatasia (HPP) often leads to premature loss of deciduous teeth, due to disturbed cementum formation. We addressed the question to what extent cementum and dentin are similarly affected. To this end, we compared teeth from children with HPP with those from matched controls and analyzed them microscopically and chemically. It was observed that both acellular and cellular cementum formation was affected. For dentin, however, no differences in mineral content were recorded. To explain the dissimilar effects on cementum and dentin in HPP, we assessed pyrophosphate (an inhibitor of mineralization) and the expression/activity of enzymes related to pyrophosphate metabolism in both the periodontal ligament and the pulp of normal teeth. Expression of nucleotide pyrophosphatase phosphodiesterase 1 (NPP1) in pulp proved to be significantly lower than in the periodontal ligament. Also, the activity of NPP1 was less in pulp, as was the concentration of pyrophosphate. Our findings suggest that mineralization of dentin is less likely to be under the influence of the inhibitory action of pyrophosphate than mineralization of cementum.

KEY WORDS: alkaline phosphatase • hypophosphatasia • mineralization

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. J. Somerman and L. K. McCauley Bisphosphonates: Sacrificing the Jaw to Save the Skeleton? IBMS BoneKEy, September 1, 2006; 3(9): 12 - 18. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]