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Updated: Aug 18, 2025
A Morphometric and Cellular Analysis Method for the Murine Mandibular Condyle
Published on: January 11, 2018
DLX6 and MSX1 from saliva samples as potential predictors of mandibular size: A cross-sectional study
Rachel Bryn V Cooper1, Ki Beom Kim2, Donald R Oliver2
1Formerly, Department of Orthodontics, School of Medicine, Saint Louis University, St Louis, Mo currently, Private practice, Houston, Tex.
Introduction:
Morphologic features of the mandible are influenced by the genes of each individual. Mandible size is important to orthodontists because the mandible is the mechanism by which the lower face influences facial esthetics and dental function. To date, no biological marker has been identified that indicates eventual mandible size. This study aimed to correlate the expression of DLX5, DLX6, EDN1, HAND2, PRRX1, and MSX1 to mandible size.
Methods:
Fifty-nine orthodontic patients aged >6 years who had available cephalometric radiographs were studied. Patients were classified on the basis of condylion-to-gnathion measurements. Messenger RNA was isolated from saliva and subjected to real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction.
Results:
Threshold cycle values for subjects with small mandibles (>1 standard deviation [SD] from the mean) had the least expression of DLX6 and MSX1. Threshold cycle values for subjects with large mandibles (>1 SD) had less expression of DLX6 and MSX1 than subjects within 1 SD but more than those with small mandibles.
Conclusions:
DLX6 and MSX1 are related to mandible development and size. This finding could be used to improve treatment planning for medical and dental professionals seeking to understand the impact of genetics on bone growth.
