Objectives: The aim of the study was to investigate cleft - affected tissues in children with cleft lip and palate in order to detect appearance of β-defensin, interleukins (IL) and gene proteins.
Material and methods: The study group included 10 patients with cleft lip and palate. During nose surgery tissue samples from bone and cartilage have been taken, and stained with immunohistochemistry for β-defensin 2, IL4, IL6, IL7, IL8, IL10 and MSX1, RYK, PAX9, IRF6 gene proteins.
Results: Results showed prominent expression of IL10 (mean value 47.28±4.26 in visual field) followed by IL7 (35.62±11.18) in cartilage of patients, but slightly less pronounced expression of IL8 (30.14±8.74), IL6 (22.52±10.88) and IL4 (14.81±6.94). The expression of β-defensin 2 was prominent (34.52±11.79) and similar to expression of IL7 in tissue samples of cartilage. MSX1, PAX9, RYK and IRF6 (17.67±5.94; 16.14±5.52; 16.57±5.22 and 11.86±4.21) in cartilage was less pronounced than interleukins and β-defensin 2. MSX1 (12.44±3.34), PAX9 (6.89±2.14), RYK (11.0±5.92) and IRF6 (9.1±4.76) gene proteins expression in bone showed mostly rare occurrence of positive structures.
Conclusions: Significant expression of IL7 and β-defensin 2 and IL10 in cartilage proves the prominent immune response in cleft affected hard tissue. Mostly indistinct MSX1, PAX9, RYK and IRF6 gene proteins expression in bone might be an indicator of not complete cellular differentiation, proliferation and migration events in cleft disordered hard tissue.