Epithelial cell attachment and adhesion protein expression on novel in sol TiO2 coated zirconia and titanium alloy surfaces

Abstract

An adequate mucosal attachment is important when it comes to preventing peri-implant inflammation. The aim of this study was to compare epithelial cell adhesion and adhesion protein expression on in sol TiO2-coated and non-coated zirconia and titanium alloy surfaces. Fifty-six zirconia and titanium discs were cut, and half of them were coated with bioactive TiO2-coating. To study the epithelial cell attachment, human gingival keratinocytes were cultivated on discs for 1, 3, 6, and 24 h. The cell proliferation was detected by cultivating cells for 1, 3, and 7 days. In addition, the levels of adhesion proteins laminin y2, integrin α6, β4, vinculin, and paxillin were detected with Western Blot method. Furthermore, high-resolution imaging of the actin cytoskeleton and focal adhesion proteins was established. Longer-term cell culture (1–7 days) revealed higher cell numbers on the coated zirconia and titanium discs compared to non-coated discs. The difference was statistically significant (p