| Cleft lip and palate (CLP) is a congenital anomaly characterized by the inappropriate fusion of the upper lip, alveolus, and secondary palate. This study investigated whether expression of interferon regulatory fac tor 6 (IRF6), receptor-like tyrosine kinase (RYK), and paired-box 9 (PAX9), which are essential for the normal development and morphogenesis of craniofacial structures, is dysregulated in children with CLP. Oral mucosa tissue samples were obtained from patients with complete bilateral (CB) CLP (n= 19) during corrective plastic surgery and unaffected control subjects (n= 7). IRF6, RYK, and PAX9 expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry, and data were analyzed with the Mann-Whitney test. In patients, IRF6 immunoreactivity in the connective... |
