Temporal expression pattern of adhesion genes in human oral mucosal keratinocytes on type IV collagen-coated titanium

The cell adhesion extracellular matrix (ECM), and the cell adhesive system mediate various adhesion molecules. Cell adhesion regulates proliferation and differentiation. However, the cell adhesive systems between titanium and epithelial cells are still not clearly understood. In this study, we cultured human epithelial cells on type IV collagen-coated titanium (TiCol-4) and non-coated titanium (Ti). We used titanium disks of 30 mm diameter and 1.0 mm thickness. The titanium disks were first abraded using #800, #1200, #2400, and #4000 diamond pads and 0.3 mum alumina, and then washed with acetone, ethanol, and ultra-pure water in an ultrasonic cleaner for 10 min each. Human oral keratinocytes (hOMK) were seeded with 5.0 x 10(4) cells on TiCol-4 and Ti and placed in 6-well culture dishes. The cell adhesion examination was conducted with a Cell Coulter Counter after 1, 3, and 5 h. hOMK were observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Real-time PCR was performed with four primers: gene laminin beta3, integrin beta4, integrin alpha1, and integrin alpha3. The results suggest that TiCol-4 could be used as a means for obtaining better hOMK than Ti. Type IV collagen could provide an excellent substratum for hOMK attachment on titanium surfaces.