Expression of receptor for hyaluronan-mediated motility (RHAMM) in ossifying fibromas

Fibro-osseous lesions of the jaw are poorly understood because of a significant overlap of clinical, radiological and histological features among the various types, though they present distinct patterns of disease progression. An ossifying fibroma is associated with significant cosmetic and functional disturbances, as it shows expansive proliferation. Thus, it is important to establish a specific marker, as well as clearly elucidate its etiology for diagnosis and proper treatment. We previously established immortalized cell lines from human ossifying fibromas of the jaw and found that they highly expressed the receptor for hyaluronan (HA)-mediated motility (RHAMM). In this study, we examined the expression of RHAMM mRNA in 65 fibro-osseous lesions, including ossifying fibroma, fibrous dysplasia and osseous dysplasia, as well as 5 normal jaws, using real-time RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry assays. RHAMM mRNA and protein expression were significantly elevated in the ossifying fibroma specimens. These results suggest that detection of upregulated RHAMM expression in an ossifying fibroma assists with differential diagnosis and has a key role in elucidation of its pathophysiology.