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Abstract
The importance of growth factors in mediating the cellular responses to injury in
the dentine-pulp complex is well recognized and several growth factors are reportedly
sequestered in dentine matrix from where they may be released during repair processes.
Local angiogenesis at the injury site appears to be critical for successful pulpal
repair. Here, soluble and insoluble matrix fractions were isolated from human dentine
and the amounts of several important angiogenic growth factors in these fractions
measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The EDTA-soluble matrix fraction
contained high concentrations of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF-AB), lower concentrations
of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), placenta growth factor (PlGF) and fibroblast
growth factor (FGF2), and very low concentrations of epidermal growth factor (EGF).
No FGF2 or PlGF could be detected in the insoluble matrix fractions, but these fractions
contained some VEGF, lower concentrations of PDGF-AB and very low concentrations of
EGF. It was concluded that dentine matrix contains angiogenic growth factors and that
their release from the matrix after injury could make an important contribution to
the overall reparative response of the dentine-pulp complex.