Characterization of Molecular Alterations in the Periosteum and Analysis of Associated Signaling Pathways During the Ultra-Early Stage of Guided Bone Regeneration.

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the characterization of molecular alterations in the periosteum and to analyze the associated signaling pathways during the ultra-early stage of guided bone regeneration.

Methods: A swine model for guided bone regeneration was developed, with one side of the rib designated as the experimental group and the contralateral side serving as the control group. The periosteum was harvested 1 day postoperatively, and total RNA was extracted. Microarray analysis was performed to identify the differences in the transcriptome between the 2 groups. Relevant signaling pathways were analyzed through bioinformatics approaches.

Results: Compared with the control group, a total of 1100 genes were found to be significantly upregulated, whereas 1063 genes exhibited significantly downregulated expression in the periosteum of the experimental group. The top primarily upregulated genes included CSF3R, PADI4, SELL, and NCF1 among others. The 5 most prevalent terms included immune system processes, inflammatory responses, cellular activation; leukocyte activation, and intracellular signal transduction. The top 5 pathways primarily involve rheumatoid arthritis, phagosome, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, calcium signaling pathway, and cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction.

Conclusion: The ultra-early stage of guided bone regeneration is crucial for subsequent regenerative efficiency. In this process, the CSF3R gene and the signaling pathways related to phagosomes and cytokine-cytokine receptor interactions may play significant roles.