THE EFFECT OF TRANSFORMING-GROWTH-FACTOR-BETA ONE (TGF-BETA(1)) ON WOUND-HEALING, WITH OR WITHOUT BARRIER MEMBRANES, IN A CLASS-II FURCATION DEFECT IN SHEEP

The purpose of this study was to analyse the effect of TGF-beta(1) on wound healing in standardized Class II furcation defects of 48 mandibu lar second premolar teeth in 24 sheep. The experimental design include d a control group (carrier only, 25% pluronic F-127), and 2 experiment al groups: group A (80 mu g/ml TGF-beta(1) + carrier) and group B (80 mu g/ml TGF-beta(1) + carrier covered with a barrier membrane). Sheep were killed either 2 wk or 6 wk after surgery. Mesiodistal sections of the decalcified specimens were quantified histologically using stereo logy. Percentage volumes of regenerated bone, fibrous connective tissu e and cementum were calculated for each furcation defect. Mean values were analysed using multiple ANOVA; p values were calculated using pai red and unpaired Student's t-tests. After 2 wk there was more bone in group B than either of the other 2 groups, but this was not statistica lly significant. By 6 wk more bone was present in group A than in the control group (p<0.02) and also in group B when compared with both gro up A and the control group (p<0.02 and p<0.44), respectively. In the 4 wk between sampling significantly more bone had formed (group A <0.05 and group B p<0.003, respectively). A negative correlation existed be tween volumes of bone and fibrous connective tissue and no significant differences between the volumes of cementum were evident between any of the groups. This study demonstrated that TGF-beta(1) encouraged bon e regeneration in Class II furcation defects in sheep, an effect enhan ced by the presence of a barrier membrane. This is the first report on the use of TGF-beta(1) in conjunction with GTR in periodontal defects .