Polymerase chain reaction analysis of oestrogen and androgen receptor expression in human gingival and periodontal tissue.

Oestrogen and androgen receptors mediate the effects of their respective hormones by acting as ligand-activated transcription factors that control a wide range of biological processes. In order to determine whether periodontal and gingival tissues could respond to oestrogen and androgen, the specific and highly sensitive reverse-transcribed polymerase chain reaction (PT-PCR) was used to examine the presence of the mRNAs corresponding to these receptors. Expression of the androgen receptor was readily detected in periodontal and gingival tissue and in fibroblasts derived from these tissues, but transcripts for the oestrogen receptor were not detected in these samples. Moreover, treatment of the cultured fibroblasts with the oestrogen diethylstilbesterol (DES) or the androgen dihydrotestosterone (DHT) did not induce the expression of the oestrogen receptor mRNA; nor did the hormones modify the activity of the androgen receptor gene. These results suggest that, while periodontal and gingival tissues are not able to respond directly to oestrogen, they may nevertheless be highly sensitive to the anabolic effects of androgens.