Dental Anomalies and Genetic Polymorphisms as Predictors of Maxillofacial Growth in Individuals Born with Cleft Lip and Palate.

Cleft lip and palate have a complex inheritance, and 90% of its variation in the population is due to genetic contributors. The impact of surgical procedures on maxillofacial growth is well known, but the interference of intrinsic factors in these growth outcomes is not elucidated. The present study aimed to analyze genetic polymorphisms and frequency of dental anomalies as predictors of maxillofacial growth in patients born with cleft lip with or without cleft palate. From a cohort of 537 individuals, operated on by the same surgeon, 121 were analyzed 2 times, to define changes in maxillary growth prognosis by occlusal scores in a minimum 4-y follow-up. In a second step, a subset of 360 individuals had maxillofacial growth outcomes evaluated using Wits, nasion perpendicular to point A, and occlusal scores. The markers MMP2 rs9923304, GLI2 rs3738880 and rs2279741, TGFA rs2166975, and FGFR2 rs11200014 and rs10736303 were genotyped, and frequency of dental anomalies and cleft severity were determined to define evidence of overrepresentation of alleles associated with maxillofacial growth outcomes. Age and age at primary surgical treatment, sex, and cleft laterality were variables adjusted in the analysis. We found an association between the frequency of dental anomalies and the maxillofacial growth in unilateral (P = 0.001) and bilateral (P = 0.03) individuals with clefts. MMP2 rs9923304 and maxillofacial growth were associated (P < 0.0001). There was also an association between GLI2 rs3738880 and TGFA rs2166975 and maxillary outcomes in individuals born with unilateral cleft lip and palate (P = 0.003 and P = 0.004, respectively), as well as between FGFR2 rs11200014 and maxillary outcomes regardless of cleft type (P = 0.005). Statistical evidence of an interaction between MMP2 rs9923304 and GLI2 rs3738880 was observed (P < 0.0001). Presence of dental anomalies and genetic variation in MMP2, GLI2, TGFA, and FGFR2 were associated with worse maxillofacial growth outcomes in individuals born with clefts.

Pulp enlargement in individuals born with cleft lip and palate pulp, a radiographic study from the cleft lip and palate service of paraiba, Brazil'.

PURPOSE: Pulp chamber enlargement impacts endodontic treatment planning. The aim of this study was to evaluate alterations in pulp chamber size of posterior teeth in individuals born with cleft lip with or without cleft palate. METHODS: Ninety individuals were treated at the Cleft Lip and Palate Service of the University Hospital Lauro Wanderley, Federal University of Paraíba, between the ages of 4 and 15 years born with cleft lip with or without cleft palate were selected. Ninety-nine patients from the archives of the residency program in Orthodontics of the Brazilian Dental Association (ABO) were paired by sex and age as a comparison group. Radiographs were evaluated by a single examiner, observing the presence/absence of an enlarged pulp chamber in the first and second permanent molars of all quadrants. Chi square or Fisher's exact tests were used (α = 0.05) in all comparisons. RESULTS: Pulp enlargement was more frequently found among individuals born with cleft lip with or without cleft palate (p = 0.0005). However, pulp enlargement frequency was different among subjects born with clefts (p = 0.0006). Pulp enlargement was more common in the maxilla, in both groups. Individuals born with cleft lip with or without cleft palate more often had six or more teeth affected (p = 0.02). Furthermore, individuals with a bilateral cleft more often had six or more teeth affected in comparison to unilateral cases (p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Pulp enlargement is a frequent finding, particularly among individuals born with cleft lip with or without cleft palate, with a higher prevalence in the maxilla.

COMT rs4818, pain sensitivity and duration, and alveolar bone grafting of oral clefts.

PURPOSE: Verifying whether the mutation in COMT rs4818 could be involved in pain modulation. METHODS: Thirty-two individuals born with cleft lip and palate that underwent bone graft from the iliac crest bone were assessed at 12, 24, 48, 72 h, and 7 days regarding their pain experience using a visual analogic scale. DNA from each participant was collected from saliva samples, and genotyping of rs4818 was performed using TaqMan chemistry. Overrepresentation of rs4818 alleles was tested using chi-square or Fisher's exact tests with an alpha of 0.05. RESULTS: Of the 32 individuals, eighteen reported long pain duration, nine reported high pain intensity, and fourteen low pain intensity up to 48 h. No differences were found in the distribution of individuals depending on the reported pain by sex (p = 0.12), age (p = 0.42), or cleft type (p = 0.5). The distribution of COMT r4818 alleles was different depending on the intensity and duration of pain. Carriers of the C wild-type allele were four times more likely to show high pain intensity and duration (odds ratio = 4.29, 95% confidence interval 1.13-16.18), meaning that the G variant allele is protective. CONCLUSION: COMT rs4818 is associated with postoperative pain after alveolar bone grafting.