WHOLE SLIDE IMAGING IN PERIODONTOLOGYRESEARCH
WITH MVSLIDE
One of the most severe and widespread periodontal diseases is periodontitis, an inflammatory degenerative process. The periodontal tissue undergoes morphological changes, leading to permanent damage and, ultimatley, tooth loss.
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While bacterial biofilms are recognized as the primary trigger of this inlfammatory process, the underlying molecular mechanisms are subject of intensive research to further improve the understanding of the disease.
Such research frequently involves the analysis of periodontal tissue samples from two complementary perspectives:
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Analysis of tissue histomorphometry
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Analysis of expression profiles of protein markers of interest following specific staining
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To obtain representative and meaningful results, it is essential to analyze entire tissue sections rather than isolated snapshots. High-resolution digital imaging of complete sections enables comprehensive assessment of morphological features and molecular marker distribution within their spatial context.
The mvSlide manual scanning software supports this approach by enabling the creation of seamless, zoomable whole-section images at any objective lens resolution using existing microscope infrastructure. Periodontal tissue samples are typically small, which keeps the manually scanned area limited and makes the acquisition process very efficient in practice. The resulting scans allow detailed evaluation and analysis of periodontal tissue samples without the need for expensive automated high-throughput scanning systems.
Study on the Correlation Between Syndecans, Heparan Sulfate Enzymes, and Periodontitis
In this context, a scientific study in which the expression of syndecans and its biosynthetic enzymes in healthy and diseased periodontal tissue was investigated has been published by a research group around first author Roko Duplancic and Assistant Professor Dr. Darko Kero from the University of Split in Croatia in 2019.
In the referenced publication, mvSlide was referred to as manualWSI, the former name of the software.
Chemically, syndecans (Sdcs) are heparan sulfate proteoglycans, i.e. molecules consisting of a core protein to which several heparan sulfate (HS) glycosaminoglycan side chains are attached. Four sub-types of syndecans (Sdc 1-4) have been identified in different human tissues. Their functions have been described to be diverse and tissue-dependent; among others, a role of syndecans in the regulation of inflammatory responses has been described. The function of an Sdc is determined by its ultimate chemical structure, and this structure in turn is determined by various enzymes which are active during biosynthesis of the Sdc or which modify the Sdcs post-translational. In particular variations of the chain length and of sulfations in the HS glycosaminoglycan chains are thereby impacting the biochemical features and function of the Sdcs.
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Therefore, in the study the expression patterns of Sdcs 1, 2, and 4, as well as of three groups of enzymes responsible for biosynthesis and post-translational modification of HS were analyzed in healthy and diseased periodontal tissue sections from 20 patients per group. The enzymes of interest were exostosins 1 and 2 (EXT1, 2), sulfotransferases 1 and 2 (NDST1, 2) and heparanase 1 (HPSE1). High resolution brightfield whole slide images were acquired with the Microvisioneer mvSlide scanning software. Subsequently, the panoramic brightfield images created with mvSlide were analyzed, in addition to separately acquired fluorescence images. ​
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Below, representative panoramic images of gingiva tissues are shown as examples.
Panoramic images of a gingiva sample from the periodontitis group. (A) Panoramic H/E image acquired at 20X magnification, (B) Panoramic alcian blue image acquired at 10X magnification.
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Images kindly provided by Dr. Darko Kero.
An initial histomorphometric analysis revealed no significant differences between tissues from healthy and periodontitis patients as the fractions of the epithelial and the stromal compartment did not differ between the groups.
Further, for Sdc1 as well as for the enzymes HPSE1, EXT1, and NDST1, significantly different expression profiles could be observed in healthy and diseased periodontal tissue.
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Finally, correlations of expression profiles with inflammatory infiltration were assessed. The expression of Sdcs correlated differentially with the infiltration of inflammatory cells in the healthy control group and the periodontitis group, whereas all enzymes showed similar correlation patterns in the two groups.
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Overall, the results implied that syndecans and biosynthetic and modifying enzymes associated to the HS-chains of syndecans could be involved in the modulation of inflammatory responses in periodontitis.
Thus, the study adds to the understanding of molecular changes underlying periodontitis, with a better understanding being crucial for the development of further therapeutic options.
Full study for all details and more information:
Roko Duplancic, Marija Roguljic, Ivan Puhar, Nika Vecek, Ruzica Dragun, Katarina Vukojevic, Mirna Saraga-Babic, Darko Kero: Syndecans and Enzymes for Heparan Sulfate Biosynthesis and Modification Differentially Correlate With Presence of Inflammatory Infiltrate in Periodontitis. Frontiers in Physiology, 2019
DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2019.01248 https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2019.01248
For further reading:
Ivna Ćavar, Darko Kero: Correlation of the expression of hyaluronan and CD44 with the presence of gingival inflammatory infiltrate in advanced generalized periodontitis. ST-OPEN, 2020
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