嚼食檳榔是導致口腔黏膜下纖維化症(Oral submucous fibrosis，簡稱OSF)的主要原因，臨床上最常發生於頰黏膜，其症狀為黏膜僵硬，主要是由於上皮下方結締組織中含有過量的膠原蛋白沉積所造成，而目前研究絕大多數都朝此方面做探討，Wnt/β-catenin pathway 在fibrosis 中扮演著非常重要的角色，鮮少有研究探討β-catenin 與OSF 間的關聯性，吾人認為β-catenin 在OSF 病程中所扮演的角色值得進一步探討，所以本研究擬收集口腔黏膜下纖維症病人20 例及正常口腔黏膜10 例，以免疫組織化學染色法探討 β-catenin 在正常口腔黏膜與OSF 組織間的差異性；另以組織培養法，培養人類正常頰黏膜及口腔黏膜下纖維化纖維母細胞，抽取RNA、protein 及condition medium 分析比較不同層次β-catenin 含量，以RT-PCR、western blot、ELISA 等方法比較正常頰黏膜及口腔黏膜下纖維化纖維母細胞β-catenin。從流行病學調查研究顯示，嚼食檳榔是導致OSF 的主要原因，arecoline 是檳榔植物鹼中含量最多的成分，培養人類正常頰黏膜纖維母細胞，以RT-PCR、western blot、ELISA 等方法比較在arecoline 作用下正常頰黏膜造纖維母細胞是否會增加β-catenin 分泌量，並加入一些抑制劑探討其調控的可能signal transduction pathway。 In Taiwan, there are two million people who have the betel quid chewing habit, which has
been suspected to elevate the incidence of oral submucous fibrosis (OSF). OSF, which is regarded
as a precancerous condition, is characterized by juxta-epithelial inflammatory reaction followed
by fibro-elastic change in the lamina properia and epithelial atrophy. The connective tissue
changes are characterized by deposition of dense collagen fibers in the oral mucosa. Most of
these studies were focused on the changes in the collagen accumulation in connective tissue layer.
To date there has been little research into the roles of β-catenin in normal buccal mucosa as well
as OSF. β-catenin expression was significantly higher in OSF specimens and expressed mainly by
fibroblasts, endothelial cells, and inflammatory cells. The results demonstrated highly elevated
β-catenin expression in normal human BMFs stimulated by arecoline. Taken together, these
results suggest that β-catenin expression is significantly upregulated in OSF tissues from areca
quid chewers and arecoline may be responsible for the enhanced β-catenin expression in vivo.
嚼食檳榔是導致口腔黏膜下纖維化症(Oral submucous fibrosis，簡稱OSF)的主要原因，
臨床上最常發生於頰黏膜，其症狀為黏膜僵硬，主要是由於上皮下方結締組織中含有過量
的膠原蛋白沉積所造成，而目前研究絕大多數都朝此方面做探討，Wnt/β-catenin pathway
在fibrosis 中扮演著非常重要的角色，鮮少有研究探討β-catenin 與OSF 間的關聯性，吾人
認為β-catenin 在OSF 病程中所扮演的角色值得進一步探討，本研究以免疫組織化學染色法
發現β-catenin 在正常口腔黏膜與OSF 間的差異性，β-catenin 在在正常口腔黏膜與OSF 有
較強烈的表達。以組織培養法，培養人類在正常口腔黏膜造纖維母細胞加入arecoline 發現
β-catenin 蛋白表達會增加，所以CsA 透過β-catenin 蛋白表達誘發OSF。
