Immunohistochemical Analysis of Estrogen and Progesterone Receptor Expression in Gingival Lesions

Some lesion s in the oral cavity and mostly on gingiva have predominant pred ilection towards female s, and mostly occur in the first four decades of life when changes in sex hormon e levels in blood are obvious. The present study aimed to investigate the presence and dist ributi on of estro gen and progesterone receptors in per ipheral gia nt cell granuloma (PGCG) , pyogenic granuloma (PG) and peripheral ossi fying fibrom a (POF) on gingiva as an organ target. In a descriptive case series study from March 2002 to April 2003, paraffin blocks from patients with exophitic lesion on gingiva, diagnosed by histopathology as PGCG, PG or POF at Denti stry Faculty of Tehran Universi ty of Med ical Sciences (TUMS), Iran, were anal yzed with Immunohistochemical (IHC) technique. The data analysis was performed by frequency and descr iptive stat istics. Of 35 patients, 12 estrogen receptors (ERS) and proge sterone receptors (PRS ) were detected. Nine of them were PRS and three were ERS. Two third of ERS/ PRS were seen in females and one third in males, respectively. In order of decreasing frequency the ERS and PRS were found in PG (n=6 ), POF (n=4) and PGCG (n=2). In this study, ERJPR were revealed in three lesions. PR was detected in all of three lesion s but we could not see ER in PGCG. Thu s, gingiva may be considered as a target organ for sex hormones.