In the present study, we investigated the expression patterns of p63, a member of the p53 gene family, in hair follicle cells at different stages of the hair cycle and examined the relation with cell proliferation activity. For this study, immunohistochemistry for p63 and Ki-67, a marker of cell proliferation, was performed in skin obtained from C3H/he mice with depilation. In the anagen stage, p63 was strongly expressed in the cells of bulge areas and epithelial strand, matrix cells of the hair bulbs and outer root sheath cells, but inner root sheath cells and dermal papilla cells were negative for p63. These expression patterns of p63 were similarly noted in hair follicles in the early catagen stage. In the late catagen and telogen stages of hair follicles, outer root sheath cells, seboblasts and duct cells were immunoreactive for p63. On the other hand, Ki-67-positive cells were selectively observed among the p63 positive cell components, although p63 positive cells were not always proliferative. Most of the matrix cells in the hair bulbs were positive for Ki-67. Ki-67-positive cells were also frequently evident in the cells of epithelial strands in the early anagen stage. Outer root sheath cells were often positive for Ki-67 in the anagen and early catagen stages, but very rare in the late catagen and telogen stages. In summary, p63 was expressed in the bulge stem cells, epithelial strand cells, matrix cells and outer root sheath cells of hair follicles at any stage of the cycle, which was associated with the movement of hair progenitor cells for regeneration. Ki-67-positive cells were evident among the p63-expressing cell components. Our results strongly suggest that p63 plays an important role in stem cell regulation, at least associated with cell proliferation, for the regeneration of hair follicles.

Several recent studies have detected genetic and cytogenetic alterations in epithelial odontogenic tumors. However, the detailed mechanisms of oncogenesis, cytodifferention, and tumor progression remain unknown. p63 as p53 homolog gene has been identified at loci 3q27-29. The p53 signaling cascade has an important role in oncogenesis or cyto- differentiation of odontogenic epithelium. Recently, several syndromes associated with p63 gene mutations have shown to include various tooth abnormalities of both the primary and permanent dentition. But little is known about p63 expression in odontogenic tumors, especially ameloblastomas. The purpose of this study were to examine various expression of p63 in ameloblastomas by immunohistochemistry and to clarify the possible biological role of p63 in ameloblastomas. 15 specimens including 6 follicular, 4 plexiform, 3 acanthomatous, and 2 granular cell types were fixed in 10% neutral formalin. 4um thick sections were used for routine H&E and immunohistochemical examinations. After immuno- histochemical satining, they were examined at a final magnification of 400X. For each case a minimum of 1000 nuclei located in the central and peripheral layers were counted in up to 10 consecutive microscopic fields per case. The immunoreactive cells were evaluated semiquantitatively. Immunoreactivity for p63 in all the types of ameloblastomas was higher in peripheral neoplastic cells than in central neoplastic cells. Keratinizing cells in acanthomatous ameloblastoma and granular cells in granular cell ameloblastoma showed markedly decreased reactivity for p63 in acanthomatous and granular cell ameloblastoma. Labelling index of acanthomatous, plexiform, and granular cell type was 86±11%, 81±17% and 83±15% in peripheral area while 88±14%, 82±11% and 76±10% in central area, respectively. Labelling index of follicular type was 17±4% in peripheral area while 21±3% in central area. There was no significant relationship between plexiform, acanthomaous, and granular cell type, while significant relationships between follicular and acanthomatous type, between plexiform and follicular type, and between granular cell and follicular type, respectively. It suggested that p63 expression could paly an important role in the pathogenesis of ameloblastomas. Morever plexiform, acanthomatous, and granular cell type would show more aggressive proliferative potentiality than follicular type.

Odontogenic cysts are classified into inflammatory and developmental origins. The most common representative inflammatory cyst is periapical cyst and the most common representative developmental cyst is dentigerous cyst and cyst which show character of tumor is odontogenic keratocyst and cyst of which cystic epithleial lining cells transform to ameloblastoma is unicystic ameloblastoma. About ten years ago p63 protein that are closely related to p53 protein was found. Authors studied about comparative pattern of expression of p63 protein in periapical cyst, dentigerous cysts, odontogenic kertocysts and unicystic ameloblastomas. Authors selected 10 cases for every four types of cyst and performed immunohistochemical staining by using monoclonal antibody about p63 protein, LSAB(labelled streptoavidin biotin) reactant and HRP(horse raish peroxidase) system. Positive cells about p63 protein were expressed at basal layer of cystic lining epithelium in periapical cysts, odontogenic keratocysts and unicytic ameloblastomas. On the contrary, in dentigerous cysts positive cells were expressed at surfce layer. Perapical cysts and odontogenic keratocysts showed significantly high values of labelling indices.(periapical cyst:72.49%, odontogenic keratocyst:64.72%, dentigerous cyst:8.94%, unicystic ameloblastoma: 5.25%) Odontogenic keratocyst showed the most strong staining intensity and the second was periapical cyst, the third was dentigerous cyst, and lastly unicystic ameloblastoma. Conclusively cause that the positive cells appeared at surface layer in dentigerous cyst reflected the position of epithelium to the enamel, and labelling indices of p63 protein were closely related to proliferative capacity and intensity of expression closely related to the labelling index and thus labelling index was also closely related to proliferative capacity of cystic lining epithelium.

동중국해는 황하(Huanghe), 장강(Changjiang) 및 한국의 여러 강들로부터 많은 양의 퇴적물을 공급받는 것으로 알려져 있으며, 각 강들의 영향 및 퇴적과정을 밝혀내기 위해 많은 연구가 수행되었으나, 의견일치가 이루어지지 못하였다. 본 연구에서는 동중국해 퇴적물의 기원지 및 퇴적 환경 유추를 위해, 99MAP-P63 코어 퇴적물에 대해 입도, 점토광물 및 희토류원소 분석을 수행하였다. 점토광물 분석 결과, 일라이트(illite)의 함량이 가장 높고, 카올리나이트(kaolinite) 및 녹니석(chlorite), 스멕타이트(smectite)의 순으로 풍부하며, 점토광물을 이용한 99MAP-P63 퇴적물의 기원지는 깊이에 관계 이 모두 장강인 것으로 판단된다. 희토류원소 분석 결과, 99MAP-P63 퇴적물들은 중국 강 퇴적물의 희토류원소 함량과 매우 유사하다. 따라서 99MAP-P63 퇴적물들의 기원지는 장강이며, 한국 강의 영향은 미미하거나 없을 것으로 판단된다. 99MAP-P63 퇴적물은 대체로 사질 실트로 구분되지만, 코어의 최상부는 모래의 함량이 85 %인 사질로 구분된다. 주변 코어들과 비교한 결과, 사질 실트는 해수면이 낮았던 저수위기(lowstand stage)에 해당되며, 장강의 고수로를 통해 퇴적물들이 직접 공급되었을 것으로 판단된다. 코어 최상부의 사질 퇴적물은 해침기(transgressive stage)에 해당되며 해수면 상승으로 인해 강 하구와의 거리는 멀어졌지만, 현재보다 높은 해저면의 응력으로 인해 조립질 퇴적물들이 공급될 수 있었으며, 인근에 퇴적되었던 고 장강(paleo-Changjiang) 퇴적물들이 재동된 것으로 해석된다.

p63은 다양한 상피 조직의 줄기세포와 전구세포에 존재한다는 사실이 잘 알려져 있으나, 치아 형성, 특히 사기질과 뿌리 형성시기에서의 p63 위치느 ㄴ아직 연구해야 할 과제로 남아 있다. 본 연구에서는 p63이 치아 발생 동안 치아상피에 편재하여 나타나는 것을 면역조직화학 기법을 이용하여 확인하였다. p63은 피부, 모낭, 구강점막 그리고 턱밑샘 도관을 포함하는 상피의 바닥층과 바닥위층에 위치하였다. 그러나 치아 부위에서는 치아관의 모든 세포, 사기질기