Genes Associated With Hereditary and Drug-Induced Gingival Overgrowth

Overview

This study will examine common features of gingival overgrowth (excessive growth of the gums around the teeth) that develops in patients with the hereditary form of the condition and in those who develop the condition as a side effect of medications. A better understanding of gingival overgrowth may help scientists develop medications with fewer oral side effects. Patients of any age with hereditary gingival fibromatosis and their blood relatives, and patients of any age with gingival overgrowth who are taking medications associated with development of the disorder, including phenytoin (diphenylhydantoin or Dilantin), cyclosporine, and calcium-channel blockers, may be eligible for this study. Participants undergo a medical and dental history, including a history of medication use; detailed examination of the teeth, periodontium, head, and neck; photographs of teeth with gingival overgrowth; dental x-rays; and blood tests. DNA is extracted from a blood sample to look for genes related to gingival overgrowth. Patients with gingival overgrowth are offered two options, as follows: * Tissue biopsy: A tissue sample is taken from each affected site, with a maximum of three biopsies. For the procedure, lidocaine is first injected into the gum to numb the tissue. Then, a cookie-cutter instrument is pushed into the numbed skin, and a small piece of tissue is removed. * Gingivectomy: Surgical removal of the overgrown gingival.

The purpose of this protocol is twofold: 1) to continue identification of genes associated with hereditary gingival fibromatosis (HGF), a type of gingival overgrowth 2) to investigate the genes up-regulated by medications that induce gingival overgrowth. These studies will establish if common mechanisms are involved in the hereditary and drug-induced processes. If a common pathway is identified, it could lead to the development of assays that could be used to screen new medications for their potential deleterious effects on periodontal tissues. In addition, understanding the mechanisms involved in gingival overgrowth could lead to the development of tissue engineering approaches to repair gingival defects. Genes will be identified from DNA samples collected from patients with hereditary gingival fibromatosis. These will be compared with DNA and tissue samples taken from patients taking medications known to induce gingival overgrowth (phenytoin, cyclosporine and calcium channel blockers).