Efficacy of Alveolar Ridge Preservation in Periodontally Compromised Molar Extraction Sites: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

AIM: To investigate the efficacy of alveolar ridge preservation (ARP) in periodontally compromised molar extraction sites. METHODS: An electronic search was performed on 10th November 2023 across five databases, seeking randomised/non-randomised controlled trials (RCTs/NCTs) that included a minimum follow-up duration of four months. The RoB2 and Robins-I tools assessed the risk of bias for the included studies. Data on alveolar ridge dimensional and volumetric changes, keratinized mucosal width, and need for additional bone augmentation for implant placement were collected. Subsequently, a meta-analysis was carried out to derive the pooled estimates. RESULTS: Six studies were incorporated in the present review, and a total of 135 molar extraction sockets in 130 subjects were included in the meta-analysis. ARP was undertaken in 68 sites, and 67 sites healed spontaneously. The follow-up time ranged from 4 to 6 months. The meta-analysis of both RCTs and NCTs showed significant differences in mid-buccal ridge width changes at 1 mm level below ridge crest with a mean difference (MD) of 3.80 (95% CI: 1.67-5.94), mid-buccal ridge height changes (MD: 2.18; 95% CI: 1.25-3.12) and volumetric changes (MD: 263.59; 95% CI: 138.44-388.74) in favour of ARP, while the certainty of evidence is graded low to very low. Moreover, ARP appeared to reduce the need for additional sinus and bone augmentation procedures at implant placement with low certainty of evidence. CONCLUSIONS: Within the limitations of this study, alveolar ridge preservation in periodontally compromised extraction sites may, to some extent, preserve the ridge vertically and horizontally with reference to spontaneous healing. However, it could not eliminate the need for additional augmentation for implant placement. Further, longitudinal studies with large sample sizes and refined protocols are needed.

Biomechanical Considerations in the Orthodontic Treatment of a Patient with Stabilised Stage IV Grade C Generalised Periodontitis: A Case Report.

Orthodontic treatment of periodontally compromised patients presents unique challenges, including controlling periodontal inflammation, applying appropriate force, designing an effective dental anchorage, and maintaining treatment results. Deteriorated periodontal support leads to alterations in the biological responses of teeth to mechanical forces, and thus orthodontists must take greater care when treating patients with periodontal conditions than when treating those with a good periodontal status. In this article, we report the case of a 59-year-old woman with stabilised Stage IV grade C generalised periodontitis characterised by pathological tooth migration (PTM). The assessment, planning, and treatment of this patient with orthodontic fixed appliances is described. Moreover, the anchorage planning and biomechanical considerations are detailed. Specific orthodontic appliances were employed in this case to produce force systems for achieving precise tooth movement, which included a cantilever, mini-screws, and a box loop. Careful application of those appliances resulted in satisfactory aesthetic and functional orthodontic outcomes in the patient. This case highlights the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration in the treatment of patients with severe periodontitis and the potential for tailored biomechanical approaches in orthodontic treatment to furnish good outcomes.

Clinical performance of implant-supported single hybrid abutment crown restoration: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: To investigate survival rates and technical and biological complications of one-piece screw-retained hybrid abutments in implant-supported single crowns (SCs). STUDY SELECTION: An electronic search was performed on five databases for clinical studies involving implant-supported single hybrid abutment crowns constructed using titanium-base (Ti base) abutments, with at least 12 months of follow-up. The RoB 2, Robins-I, and JBI tools were used to assess the risk of bias for the different study types. Success, survival, and complication rates were calculated, and a meta-analysis was performed to obtain a pooled estimate. Peri-implant health parameters were extracted and analyzed. RESULTS: 22 records (20 studies) were included in this analysis. Direct comparisons between screw-retained hybrid abutment SCs and cemented SCs showed no significant differences in the 1-year survival and success rates. For SCs using a hybrid abutment crown design, their 1-year survival rate was 100% (95% CI: 100%-100%, I2 = 0.0%, P = 0.984), and a success rate of 99% (95% CI: 97%-100%, I2 = 50.3%, P = 0.023) was calculated. No confounding variables significantly affected the estimates. The individual technical complication rate was low at 1-year follow-up. The estimated incidence of all types of complications in hybrid abutment SCs is less than 1%. CONCLUSIONS: Within the limitations of this study, implant-supported SCs using a hybrid abutment crown design showed favorable short-term clinical outcomes. Additional well-designed clinical trials with at least a 5-year observation period are required to confirm their long-term clinical performance.

Development of a machine learning multiclass screening tool for periodontal health status based on non-clinical parameters and salivary biomarkers.

AIM: To develop a multiclass non-clinical screening tool for periodontal disease and assess its accuracy for differentiating periodontal health, gingivitis and different stages of periodontitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional diagnostic study on a convenience sample of 408 consecutive subjects was conducted by applying three non-clinical index tests estimating different features of the periodontal health-disease spectrum: a self-administered questionnaire, an oral rinse activated matrix metalloproteinase-8 (aMMP-8) point-of-care test (POCT) and determination of gingival bleeding on brushing (GBoB). Full-mouth periodontal examination was the reference standard. The periodontal diagnosis was made on the basis of the 2017 classification of periodontal diseases and conditions. Logistic regression and random forest (RF) analyses were performed to predict various periodontal diagnoses, and the accuracy measures were assessed. RESULTS: Four-hundred and eight subjects were enrolled in this study, including those with periodontal health (16.2%), gingivitis (15.2%) and stage I (15.9%), stage II (15.9%), stage III (29.7%) and stage IV (7.1%) periodontitis. Nine predictors, namely 'gum disease' (Q1), 'a rating of gum/teeth health' (Q2), 'tooth cleaning' (Q3a), the symptom of 'loose teeth' (Q4), 'use of floss' (Q7), aMMP-8 POCT, self-reported GBoB, haemoglobin and age, resulted in high levels of accuracy in the RF classifier. High accuracy (area under the ROC curve > 0.94) was observed for the discrimination of three (health, gingivitis and periodontitis) and six classes (health, gingivitis, stages I, II, III and IV periodontitis). Confusion matrices showed that the misclassification of a periodontitis case as health or gingivitis was less than 1%-2%. CONCLUSIONS: Machine learning-based classifiers, such as RF analyses, are promising tools for multiclass assessment of periodontal health and disease in a non-clinical setting. Results need to be externally validated in appropriately sized independent samples (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03928080).

Association of crown emergence angle and profile with dental plaque and inflammation at dental implants.

BACKGROUND: The shape of implant restorations is critical for function and aesthetics. It may also be important in peri-implant tissue health preservation. This study aimed to associate the restorative contour of a single crown with marginal dental plaque accumulation, tissue inflammation and probing depths. METHODS: Subjects with a single screw-retained implant restoration were clinically examined. The presence of dental biofilm, tissue inflammation and probing pocket depths were the dependent variables. The emergence angle, profile and depth of the mucosal tunnel were measured on superimposed digital scans of the crown soft-tissue complex, the removed crown mounted on an analogue and the soft tissue. RESULTS: One hundred twenty two subjects (46.7% female, 68.9% never smokers, 77% with treated periodontitis and 52.5% participating in regular supportive peri-implant care) were examined. The emergence angles at the mucosal margin were 15.3 ± 9.4°, 12.7 ± 8.5°, 31.3 ± 11.8° and 19.2 ± 9.8° for the mesial, distal, vestibular and oral aspects of the crowns. The largest emergence profile angles were observed on the vestibular aspect (74.6% of cases), reaching a maximum of 61.7°, and profiles were convex in 59% of cases. Generalized estimating equations indicated that the site-specific platform-level emergence angle and profile and depth of the mucosal tunnel were significantly associated with the presence of detectable plaque accumulation (p < .01) and bleeding on probing (p < .02). CONCLUSIONS: Subtle variations in the shape of the restorative crown are associated with biofilm accumulation and mucosal inflammation. These findings are important for 3D implant planning/positioning and preservation of peri-implant tissue health.

Diagnostic application of intraoral ultrasonography to assess furcation involvement in mandibular first molars.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives were to clarify if intraoral ultrasonography (USG) is: (1) more accurate than conventional periodontal examinations in detection of furcation involvement, and (2) comparable to conventional periodontal examinations in accurate horizontal classification of furcation involvement in comparison to cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). METHODS: The buccal furcation in 61 lower first molars were evaluated with conventional periodontal examinations, intraoral USG and CBCT. The presence and classification of the horizontal depth of furcation involvement were defined clinically by assessment with a Nabers periodontal probe and a periapical radiograph with reference to the bone loss under the fornix. The horizontal depth of furcation involvement was measured in intraoral USG and CBCT images. Based on the measurements, presence diagnosis and horizontal classification were performed. Results from conventional periodontal examinationsand intraoral USG were compared with those from CBCT. RESULTS: κ value (κ) for agreement of presence diagnosis of furcation involvement between intraoral USG and CBCT was 0.792, while agreement with conventional periodontal examinations was 0.225. Diagnostic accuracy of intraoral USG exhibited higher values (sensitivity: 98.3%, accuracy: 98.4 %) than conventional periodontal examinations (81.4% and 81.9 %). Weighted κ statistics showed substantial agreement in the classification between intraoral USG and CBCT (κ = 0.674). High agreement (ICC: 0.914) for the measurement of horizontal depth of furcation involvement was found between intraoral USG and CBCT. CONCLUSIONS: Intraoral USG may be a reliable diagnostic tool for assessment of furcation involvement of mandibular molars with a similar performance to CBCT, but without ionizing radiation.

Factors affecting periodontal healing of the adjacent second molar after lower third molar surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to evaluate the effect modifiers which may influence the periodontal healing of the adjacent second molar after lower third molar surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Prospective studies including patients with third molars requiring removal, with at least 6 months follow-up were considered. Outcomes were periodontal probing depth (PPD) reduction, final PPD, clinical attachment level (CAL) change, final CAL, alveolar bone defect (ABD) reduction, and final ABD depth. Meta-regression was performed to identify factors. RESULTS: Fourteen studies were included in the quantitative synthesis. At 6 months, the PPD reduction was 1.06 mm (95% CI, 0.72 to 1.39 mm) and the remaining PPD was 3.81 mm (95% CI, 3.00 to 4.62 mm). Baseline PPD was strongly correlated with the remaining PPD at 6 months (p < 0.001, adjusted R2 = 70.05%). CONCLUSIONS: Lower third molar surgery results in a modest reduction in PPD, CAL, and ABD; however, periodontal defects still remain at 6 months and beyond. Baseline PPD is strongly correlated with final PPD. While age is not shown to have effect on most of the periodontal parameters, a larger baseline PPD is more likely to manifest with increasing age and third molar surgery should be done before severe periodontitis occurs to avoid persistent periodontal defects. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This study shows that lower third molar surgery results in modest improvement in periodontal parameters on adjacent second molars and identified factors such as baseline PPD which may affect the healing, which may guide the pre-, peri-, and post-operative management of lower third molar surgery.

A Multimodal Deep Learning Approach to Predicting Systemic Diseases from Oral Conditions.

Background: It is known that oral diseases such as periodontal (gum) disease are closely linked to various systemic diseases and disorders. Deep learning advances have the potential to make major contributions to healthcare, particularly in the domains that rely on medical imaging. Incorporating non-imaging information based on clinical and laboratory data may allow clinicians to make more comprehensive and accurate decisions. Methods: Here, we developed a multimodal deep learning method to predict systemic diseases and disorders from oral health conditions. A dual-loss autoencoder was used in the first phase to extract periodontal disease-related features from 1188 panoramic radiographs. Then, in the second phase, we fused the image features with the demographic data and clinical information taken from electronic health records (EHR) to predict systemic diseases. We used receiver operation characteristics (ROC) and accuracy to evaluate our model. The model was further validated by an unseen test dataset. Findings: According to our findings, the top three most accurately predicted chapters, in order, are the Chapters III, VI and IX. The results indicated that the proposed model could predict systemic diseases belonging to Chapters III, VI and IX, with AUC values of 0.92 (95% CI, 0.90-94), 0.87 (95% CI, 0.84-89) and 0.78 (95% CI, 0.75-81), respectively. To assess the robustness of the models, we performed the evaluation on the unseen test dataset for these chapters and the results showed an accuracy of 0.88, 0.82 and 0.72 for Chapters III, VI and IX, respectively. Interpretation: The present study shows that the combination of panoramic radiograph and clinical oral features could be considered to train a fusion deep learning model for predicting systemic diseases and disorders.

Sponsorship Bias in Clinical Trials in the Dental Application of Probiotics: A Meta-Epidemiological Study.

Many experimental and clinical trials have investigated the dental application of probiotics, although the evidence concerning the effects of probiotic supplements is conflicting. We aimed to examine whether sponsorship in trials about dental applications of probiotics is associated with biased estimates of treatment effects. Overall, 13 meta-analyses involving 48 randomized controlled trials (23 with high risk of sponsorship bias, 25 with low risk) with continuous outcomes were included. Effect sizes were calculated from differences in means of first reported continuous outcomes, divided by the pooled standard deviation. For each meta-analysis, the difference in standardized mean differences between high-risk and low-risk trials was estimated by random effects meta-regression. Differences in standardized mean differences (DSMDs) were then calculated via meta-analyses in a random effects meta-analysis model. A combined DSMD of greater than zero indicated that high-risk trials showed more significant treatment effects than low-risk trials. The results show that trials with a high risk of sponsorship bias showed more significant intervention effects than did low-risk trials (combined DSMD, 0.06; 95% confidence interval, 0.3 to 0.9; p < 0.001), with low heterogeneity among meta-analyses (I2 = 0%; between-meta-analyses variance τ2 = 0.00). Based on our study, high-risk clinical trials with continuous outcomes reported more favorable intervention effects than did low-risk trials in general.

In Vitro and Ex Vivo Kinetic Release Profile of Growth Factors and Cytokines from Leucocyte- and Platelet-Rich Fibrin (L-PRF) Preparations.

L-PRF is an autologous blood-derived biomaterial (ABDB) capable of releasing biologically active agents to promote healing. Little is known about its release profile of growth factors (GFs), cytokines, and MMPs. This study reported the in vitro and ex vivo release kinetics of GFs, cytokines, and MMPs from L-PRF at 6, 24, 72, and 168 h. The in vitro release rates of PDGF, TGF-ß1, EGF, FGF-2, VEGF, and MMPs decreased over time with different rates, while those of IL-1ß, IL-6, TNF-α, IL-8, and IL-10 were low at 6 h and then increased rapidly for up to 24 h and subsequently decreased. Of note, the release rates of the GFs followed first-order kinetics both in vitro and ex vivo. Higher rates of release were found ex vivo, suggesting that significant amounts of GFs were produced by the local cells within the wound. In addition, the half-life times of GFs locally produced in the wound, including PDGF-AA, PDGF-AB/BB, and VEGF, were significantly extended (p < 0.05). This work demonstrates that L-PRF can sustain the release of GFs and cytokines for up to 7 days, and it shows that the former can activate cells to produce additional mediators and amplify the communication network for optimizing the wound environment, thereby enhancing healing.

Increased local concentrations of growth factors from leucocyte- and platelet-rich fibrin do not translate into improved alveolar ridge preservation: An intra-individual mechanistic randomized controlled trial.

AIM: Leucocyte- and platelet-rich fibrin (L-PRF) has been tested for enhancing alveolar ridge preservation (ARP), but little is known about the local release profile of growth factors (GF), and the clinical equipoise related to its efficacy remains. This study compared the patterns of GF release, early soft tissue healing, and alveolar ridge resorption following unassisted healing and L-PRF application in non-molar extraction sockets. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Atraumatic tooth extraction of two hopeless teeth per patient was followed by unassisted healing or L-PRF placement to fill the socket in 18 systemically healthy, non-smoking subjects. This intra-individual trial was powered to assess changes in horizontal alveolar ridge dimensions 1 mm below the crest of alveolar bone. GF concentrations in wound fluid were assessed with a multiplex assay at 6, 24, 72, and 168 h. Early healing was evaluated with the wound healing index and changes in soft tissue volumes on serial digital scans. Hard tissue changes were measured on superimposed CBCT images after 5 months of healing. RESULTS: L-PRF resulted in higher GF concentrations in wound fluid (WF) than in the control, but no differences in release patterns or time of peak were observed. No inter-group differences in early healing parameters were observed. Alveolar bone resorption was observed in both groups. No significant inter-group differences were observed in hard tissue healing 1, 3, or 5 mm apical to the original bone crest or in the ability to digitally plan a prosthetically guided implant with or without bone augmentation. CONCLUSIONS: L-PRF increased the GF concentrations in WF of extraction sockets without shifting the pattern observed in unassisted healing, while the increased delivery did not translate into clinical benefits in early wound healing or ARP. The current findings question the assumption that increased local concentrations of GF by L-PRF translate into improved clinical outcomes. Additional definitive studies are needed to establish the benefits of L-PRF in ARP (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03985033).

Periodontitis links to concurrent systemic comorbidities among 'self-perceived health' individuals.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Our recent work shows that periodontitis experience reflects host susceptibility to the onset of multiple systemic diseases and conditions. This cross-sectional study further investigated whether and to what extent the existing periodontitis could reflect the concurrent presence of inflammatory comorbidities among 'self-perceived health' individuals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: There were 115 'self-perceived health' adults who completed a questionnaire on demographic characteristics and lifestyles. Twenty medical diagnostic tests were then performed to detect eight common systemic diseases and conditions. Meanwhile, full-mouth periodontal examination was undertaken, and the subjects were classified as two subgroups with or without Generalized Severe Periodontitis (Stages III/IV, generalized). The interlink of periodontal status and concurrent systemic comorbidities was assessed. RESULTS: 98.3% (113/115) of the subjects exhibited at least one undiagnosed systemic disease/disorder. Of them, 52.2% (59/113) and 47.8% (54/113) concurrently presented with 1-5 or ≥6 abnormal test results, respectively. Overall, 96.5% (111/115) had periodontitis. Generalized Severe Periodontitis was present in 43.2% (48/111) of the periodontitis patients, and it was significantly associated with the profiles of abnormal test results after adjusting potential confounders (abnormal test results 1-5 vs ≥6; OR: 3.23, p = .012). CONCLUSIONS: The present study shows that existing severe periodontitis could well reflect the concurrent presence of multiple inflammatory comorbidities. Oral and medical professionals can play proactive roles in enhancing health awareness and healthcare, through strong collaboration and teamwork.

ORAL HEALTH AND VITAMIN D IN ADULT - A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW.

This systematic review aimed to provide a synthesis of the evidence relating to how the provision of Vitamin D supplements influences oral health status. An electronic database search was performed across six databases using a standardised search strategy. The PICO framework was used to define the review question. The screening and selection followed PRISMA process. The quality of reporting was assessed using CONSORT guidelines, and the bias was assessed using the revised Cochrane tool RoB2. A total of 1812 studies were retrieved. 1427 studies were excluded due to unmet inclusion criteria. Full texts of 75 potential studies were retrieved and ultimately six studies met the inclusion criteria. There were limitations in the quality of reporting of studies (between 49% and 73%). 70% of the risk of bias items were in the low risks category. Vitamin D interventions varied with respect to dosage and duration. Qualitative syntheses identified significantly better oral health outcomes. Heterogeneity of study design, intervention and outcomes precluded quantitative synthesis. Few clinical trials investigated the effect of Vitamin D supplementation on oral health. There is considerable heterogeneity among studies interventions and oral health outcomes. Quality of reporting of studies have limitations and there is evidence of study biases. Nonetheless, qualitative synthesis of the evidence suggest that Vitamin D supplements improve oral health outcomes, particularly periodontal health. Calcium may also play a significant role. Further high-quality trials are required of comparable Vitamin D supplements with similar oral health outcomes focus to inform quantitative synthesis of the evidence.

Assessment of masticatory function in the differential diagnosis of Stage IV periodontitis: A pilot diagnostic accuracy study.

BACKGROUND: After diagnosis of periodontitis is made, detection of Stage IV cases is critical for appropriate management that may call for interdisciplinary care. This study aims to identify and assess the accuracy of a simple screening approach for practice and surveillance of Stage IV periodontitis. METHODS: Masticatory function assessments by both validated self-reported masticatory dysfunction questionnaire and dual-color chewing gum mixing ability test (index test) were conducted in 214 consecutive patients, followed by a full-mouth periodontal examination. Periodontal diagnosis was based on the 2017 World Workshop classification of periodontal diseases (reference standard). Multivariate logistic regression and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) analyses were performed. RESULTS: Overall, the individual patient-reported masticatory dysfunction questions showed low to moderate accuracy for predicting Stage IV periodontitis. The objective measures of masticatory function by calculating the variance of hue from the chewing gum test performed better with an AUROC of 0.840. A diagnostic approach based on age, self-report of altered food type intake, and chewing gum test results exhibited excellent performance for predicting Stage IV periodontitis (sensitivity: 89.7%; specificity:76.3%; AUROC:0.912). CONCLUSIONS: Once the presence of periodontitis has been established, a simple diagnostic approach that does not require specialized workforce, complex, or lengthy assessment allows identification of patients with Stage IV periodontitis. This is important as these patients require specific case work up and interdisciplinary care pathways. Additional studies are required to validate the findings in multiple populations.

Food intake, masticatory function, tooth mobility, loss of posterior support, and diminished quality of life are associated with more advanced periodontitis stage diagnosis.

AIM: To describe periodontal and functional characteristics of subjects diagnosed with different stages of periodontitis and to associate measures of masticatory function and quality of life with periodontitis stage. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study on a convenience sample of 214 subjects with periodontitis seeking oral care in a hospital setting. They received a full-mouth intra-oral examination including dental and periodontal charting by a single calibrated examiner who also established the periodontitis stage diagnosis. Subjects were assessed using the OHIP-14, a validated masticatory dysfunction questionnaire, and a quantitative test based on the ability to mix a dual colour chewing gum. Mixing was quantified based on the variance of hue (VOH) with a colorimetric software. Descriptive, univariate, and multivariate analyses were performed. RESULTS: Subjects with stage IV periodontitis reported greater impairment of oral-health-related quality of life, reduced food intake or altered food type intake attributed to difficulties in chewing, objective measures of masticatory dysfunction, tooth loss, as well as more advanced periodontal breakdown compared with subjects with stages I-III of the disease. Quantitative assessment of masticatory function was associated, in a multivariate analysis, with (i) loss of functional tooth units in the premolar/molar region, presence of hypermobile teeth, and severity of periodontal attachment loss, and (ii) age, body mass index, and periodontitis stage IV and grade C diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Subjects with stage IV periodontitis are characterized by a specific set of signs and symptoms of advanced periodontal breakdown and functional impairment, which impact on the quality of life and masticatory function/food intake choices. Stage IV periodontitis captures a clinical entity with distinct features and treatment needs. This study is registered in ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03928080).

Similarity and Potential Relation Between Periimplantitis and Rheumatoid Arthritis on Transcriptomic Level: Results of a Bioinformatics Study.

Background: This bioinformatics study aimed to reveal potential cross-talk genes, related pathways, and transcription factors between periimplantitis and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods: The datasets GSE33774 (seven periimplantitis and eight control samples) and GSE106090 (six periimplantitis and six control samples) were included from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). A differential expression analysis (p < 0.05 and |logFC (fold change)| ≥ 1) and a functional enrichment analysis (p < 0.05) were performed. Based on this, a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed by Cytoscape. RA-related genes were extracted from DisGeNET database, and an overlap between periimplantitis-related genes and these RA-related genes was examined to identify potential cross-talk genes. Gene expression was merged between two datasets, and feature selection was performed by Recursive Feature Elimination (RFE) algorithm. For the feature selection cross-talk genes, support vector machine (SVM) models were constructed. The expression of these feature genes was determined from GSE93272 for RA. Finally, a network including cross-talk genes, related pathways, and transcription factors was constructed. Results: Periimplantitis datasets included 138 common differentially expressed genes (DEGs) including 101 up- and 37 downregulated DEGs. The PPI interwork of periimplantitis comprised 1,818 nodes and 2,517 edges. The RFE method selected six features, i.e., MERTK, CD14, MAPT, CCR1, C3AR1, and FCGR2B, which had the highest prediction. Out of these feature genes, CD14 and FCGR2B were most highly expressed in periimplantitis and RA. The final activated pathway-gene network contained 181 nodes and 360 edges. Nuclear factor (NF) kappa B signaling pathway and osteoclast differentiation were identified as potentially relevant pathways. Conclusions: This current study revealed FCGR2B and CD14 as the most relevant potential cross-talk genes between RA and periimplantitis, which suggests a similarity between RA and periimplantitis and can serve as a theoretical basis for future research.

Shared Molecular Mechanisms between Atherosclerosis and Periodontitis by Analyzing the Transcriptomic Alterations of Peripheral Blood Monocytes.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the nature of shared transcriptomic alterations in PBMs from periodontitis and atherosclerosis to unravel molecular mechanisms underpinning their association. METHODS: Gene expression data from PBMs from patients with periodontitis and those with atherosclerosis were each downloaded from the GEO database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in periodontitis and atherosclerosis were identified through differential gene expression analysis. The disease-related known genes related to periodontitis and atherosclerosis each were downloaded from the DisGeNET database. A Venn diagram was constructed to identify crosstalk genes from four categories: DEGs expressed in periodontitis, periodontitis-related known genes, DEGs expressed in atherosclerosis, and atherosclerosis-related known genes. A weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) was performed to identify significant coexpression modules, and then, coexpressed gene interaction networks belonging to each significant module were constructed to identify the core crosstalk genes. RESULTS: Functional enrichment analysis of significant modules obtained by WGCNA analysis showed that several pathways might play the critical crosstalk role in linking both diseases, including bacterial invasion of epithelial cells, platelet activation, and Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases (MAPK) signaling. By constructing the gene interaction network of significant modules, the core crosstalk genes in each module were identified and included: for GSE23746 dataset, RASGRP2 in the blue module and VAMP7 and SNX3 in the green module, as well as HMGB1 and SUMO1 in the turquoise module were identified; for GSE61490 dataset, SEC61G, PSMB2, SELPLG, and FIBP in the turquoise module were identified. CONCLUSION: Exploration of available transcriptomic datasets revealed core crosstalk genes (RASGRP2, VAMP7, SNX3, HMGB1, SUMO1, SEC61G, PSMB2, SELPLG, and FIBP) and significant pathways (bacterial invasion of epithelial cells, platelet activation, and MAPK signaling) as top candidate molecular linkage mechanisms between atherosclerosis and periodontitis.

Gingival bleeding on brushing as a sentinel sign of gingival inflammation: A diagnostic accuracy trial for the discrimination of periodontal health and disease.

AIM: To assess the accuracy of self-reported gingival bleeding on brushing (GBoB) for differentiating between periodontal health and disease and explore the optimal haemoglobin concentration that enables visual detection of GBoB. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Self-assessment of GBoB was conducted in supervised sessions for 408 consecutive adults. The haemoglobin levels in saliva/toothpaste slurry (TPS) were analysed, followed by a full-mouth periodontal examination. Periodontal diagnoses were made based on the 2017 classification of periodontal diseases. Gingival inflammation was defined as presence of at least 10% of sites with bleeding on probing (BOP). Logistic regression and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) analyses were applied to assess the accuracy of GBoB. RESULTS: Overall, 37.1% of the subjects claimed self-reported GBoB, and they had higher values of BOP (median: 25.0%; interquartile range (IQR): 16.0%-37.5%) than those without GBoB (median: 13.5%; IQR: 8.0%-24.8%, p < .001). The concentration/total amount of haemoglobin in TPS was positively correlated with the number of bleeding sites (r = .409/r = .520, p < .001). Haemoglobin concentration of 90.58 µg/ml or 0.51 µl blood volume enabled visual detection of GBoB with an AUROC of 0.848. Self-reported GBoB exhibited significantly increased values of diagnostic odds ratios (3-8) for varying degrees of gingival inflammation and periodontal disease (gingivitis and periodontitis). It showed low to moderate accuracy for discriminating periodontitis and gingivitis from periodontal health, with a sensitivity of 37.1% and 61.3% and a specificity of 84.8% and 84.4%, respectively. Absence of self-reported GBoB and low levels of haemoglobin had 93%-98% predictive values for periodontal health. CONCLUSIONS: Despite its low sensitivity for the discrimination of periodontitis, self-reported GBoB is a promising sentinel sign for periodontal health and disease, and gingival inflammation in particular. It is visually detectable after minor blood loss. After validation in an independent population, identification of GBoB may promote earlier detection and better prevention and treatment of periodontal disease, thereby eventually reducing the global burden of the disease.

Molecular Subtypes of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Based on Immunosuppression Genes Using a Deep Learning Approach.

Background: The mechanisms through which immunosuppressed patients bear increased risk and worse survival in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) are unclear. Here, we used deep learning to investigate the genetic mechanisms underlying immunosuppression in the survival of OSCC patients, especially from the aspect of various survival-related subtypes. Materials and methods: OSCC samples data were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC), and OSCC-related genetic datasets with survival data in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). Immunosuppression genes (ISGs) were obtained from the HisgAtlas and DisGeNET databases. Survival analyses were performed to identify the ISGs with significant prognostic values in OSCC. A deep learning (DL)-based model was established for robustly differentiating the survival subpopulations of OSCC samples. In order to understand the characteristics of the different survival-risk subtypes of OSCC samples, differential expression analysis and functional enrichment analysis were performed. Results: A total of 317 OSCC samples were divided into one inferring cohort (TCGA) and four confirmation cohorts (ICGC set, GSE41613, GSE42743, and GSE75538). Eleven ISGs (i.e., BGLAP, CALCA, CTLA4, CXCL8, FGFR3, HPRT1, IL22, ORMDL3, TLR3, SPHK1, and INHBB) showed prognostic value in OSCC. The DL-based model provided two optimal subgroups of TCGA-OSCC samples with significant differences (p = 4.91E-22) and good model fitness [concordance index (C-index) = 0.77]. The DL model was validated by using four external confirmation cohorts: ICGC cohort (n = 40, C-index = 0.39), GSE41613 dataset (n = 97, C-index = 0.86), GSE42743 dataset (n = 71, C-index = 0.87), and GSE75538 dataset (n = 14, C-index = 0.48). Importantly, subtype Sub1 demonstrated a lower probability of survival and thus a more aggressive nature compared with subtype Sub2. ISGs in subtype Sub1 were enriched in the tumor-infiltrating immune cells-related pathways and cancer progression-related pathways, while those in subtype Sub2 were enriched in the metabolism-related pathways. Conclusion: The two survival subtypes of OSCC identified by deep learning can benefit clinical practitioners to divide immunocompromised patients with oral cancer into two subpopulations and give them target drugs and thus might be helpful for improving the survival of these patients and providing novel therapeutic strategies in the precision medicine area.