Comparative gene expression analysis of the human periodontal ligament in deciduous and permanent teeth

There are histological and functional differences between human deciduous and permanent pediodontal ligament (PDL) tissues. The purpose of this study was to determine the differences between these two types of tissue at the molecular level by comparative gene expression analysis. PDL samples were obtained from permanent premolars (n=38) and anterior deciduous teeth (n=31) extracted from 40 healthy persons. Comparative cDNA microarrary analysis revealed several differences in gene expression between the deciduous and permanent PDL tissues.