The influence of KIR gene presence/absence polymorphisms on the development of periodontal disease in smokers and non-smokers.

INTRODUCTION: Periodontal diseases are highly prevalent inflammatory, multifactorial diseases. Smoking is one of the most important environmental risk factors for the development and severity of periodontal disease. Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) are members of the immunoglobulin (Ig) superfamily and play an essential role in the regulation of NK cell activity, allowing natural killer (NK) cells to sense and respond to human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of KIR gene presence/absence polymorphisms on the development of periodontal disease in smokers and non-smokers. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study enrolled 400 Caucasian subjects (age range 25-69 years) from the West Pomeranian region of Poland. The subjects were categorized into four subgroups (smoking and non-smoking patients with periodontal disease; smoking and non-smoking subjects without periodontal disease - control subjects). RESULTS: The differences of KIR gene frequencies between non-smoking patients and non-smoking control subjects as well as smoking patients and control subjects were not statistically significant. In multivariate regression analysis advanced age of patients and smoking were independent factors associated with increased frequency of periodontal disease. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that the main factor associated with increased risk of periodontal disease is smoking, whereas KIR presence/absence polymorphism is not a significant factor involved in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease.

Are KIR genes associated with clinical parameters in the course of periodontitis?

INTRODUCTION: Periodontitis is a common chronic inflammatory disease. It seems that natural killer (NK) cells play a role in the pathogenesis of periodontitis. KIRs are a family of inhibitory or activating receptors expressed on the surfaces of NK cells and some subpopulations of T lymphocytes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of KIR genes on the pocket depth (PD) and clinical attachment loss (CAL) parameter values as markers of disease clinical course. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The patients in the study were submitted to anamnesis and to clinical and periodontal examination. The subjects (400) were categorized into two groups: periodontitis (250 including 100 with moderate and 140 with severe periodontitis) and controls (150). Both groups were divided into two subgroups: KIR gene positive (presence of KIR gene in the genome) and KIR gene negative (lack of the KIR gene in the genome). RESULTS: The mean value for CAL was more than 5 mm, and the mean value for PD was more than 4 mm in the periodontitis group. The ANOVA test performed for the control group showed that neither PD nor CAL parameters differed between particular KIR-positive and KIR-negative healthy individuals. Similar results were obtained for all subgroups of chronic periodontitis patients and periodontitis patients (moderate as well as severe): no association between KIR genes and PD or CAL parameters was found. DISCUSSIONS: The activated immune system is important in pathogenesis of periodontal disease. On the other hand, tissue damage as a response to infection could be due to activation mediated by KIR. In our study no association between either KIR genes presence or absence and PD and CAL parameters was found. Nevertheless, the impact of KIR genes on the clinical course of periodontal disease requires further investigations.

[Anaerobic bacteria of periodontal pockets in course of periodontitis and premature labor]. / Flora beztlenowa kieszonek przyzebnych w zapaleniu przyzebia a poród przedwczesny.

The aim of the study is was to evaluate anaerobic periodontal mikrobes in 120 postpartum mothers. Group I consisted of mothers with a birth weight of less than 2,500g and gestational age < 37 weeks. Group II included mothers with normal birth weight infants. All women in both of groups were subjected to a full-mouth periodontal examination to determine a periodontal status. The microbial investigation for anaerobic bacteria of deepest periodontal pockets was performed in 35 cases of periodontits. A significantly higher incidence of preterm low birth weight cases in patiens with periodontitis was documented. In addition higher variety of anaerobic bacteria of periodontal pockets in mothers with preterm low birth weight infants comparison to control group was observed.

Matrix metalloproteinase-1 gene polymorphism in renal transplant patients with and without gingival enlargement.

BACKGROUND: Gingival enlargement frequently occurs in transplant patients receiving immunosuppressive drugs. It was hypothesized that gingival enlargement associated with cyclosporin use results in a disturbance of the homeostatic balance, which is characterized by an increase in the number of fibroblasts and volume of the extracellular matrix. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) serves as an initiator of extracellular matrix destruction. The aim of this study was to determine whether there is an association between genotypes of the MMP-1 gene and gingival enlargement in kidney transplant patients. METHODS: Sixty-one unrelated kidney transplant patients with gingival enlargement and 121 control transplant patients without enlargement were enrolled in the study. Six months after transplantation, all patients were given medication, which included cyclosporin A, and gingival enlargement was assessed. MMP-1 polymorphism was determined using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assay. RESULTS: In kidney transplant patients with gingival enlargement, the mean score of gingival enlargement was 1.42+/-0.63, whereas in control subjects, it was 0.0. There were no significant differences in the frequency of -1607 1G>2G alleles and genotypes between patients with and without gingival enlargement. In all subjects (N=182) and in patients without gingival enlargement, the genotype distribution met Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium criteria, whereas in patients with gingival enlargement, it was markedly different (P<0.06). There was a trend for carriers of at least the 1G allele to have an increased risk of gingival enlargement, but the trend was not statistically significant (odds ratio, 2.32; P<0.073). CONCLUSION: No association between the MMP-1 gene polymorphism and gingival enlargement was revealed in kidney transplant patients who were administered cyclosporin A as a principal immunosuppressive agent.

A comparison of the periodontal status in patients with type 2 diabetes based on glycated haemoglobin levels and other risk factors.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to compare the periodontal status in patients with type 2 diabetes based on glycated haemoglobin levels and other risk factors. MATERIAL/METHODS: 75 patients with DM2 were grouped according to glycemic control: 40 subjects with HbA1c<7.0% and 35 subjects with HbA1c≥7.0%. We performed measurements of HbA1c, C-reactive protein (CRP), Approximal Plaque Index (API), Gingival Severity Index (GSI), tooth mobility (TM) as well as periodontal parameters such as probing depth (PD) and clinical attachment level (CAL). Age, gender and duration of the disease were analyzed too. RESULTS: No significant differences in PD, CAL, API, GSI and TM were found between the analyzed groups. HbA1c positively correlated with CRP (p=0.046) and the duration of DM2 (p=0.012) but not with the periodontal parameters. Patients' age was positively correlated with both the duration of DM2 (p=0.002) and CAL (p=0.034). Regardless of HbA1c, men had significantly worse periodontal parameters compared to women (respectively: PD 2.73mm vs. 2.18mm, p=0.01; CAL 3.84mm vs. 2.54mm, p=0.005; proportion of deep pockets 9.06% vs. 2.97%, p=0.01; proportion of teeth with grade 2 mobility 9.14% vs. 2.8%, p=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: The selected group of patients attending the Diabetes Outpatient Clinic showed a similar periodontal status with regard to glycated haemoglobin levels and other risk factors except gender. Male gender turned out to be a significant risk factor for periodontal disease in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

[The effect of tobacco smoke on the course and severity of inflammation in periodontal tissues]. / Wplyw dymu papierosowego na przebieg i stopien zaawansowania procesu zapalnego w tkankach przyzebia.

INTRODUCTION: The spreading habit of smoking and the characteristic effects of components of tobacco smoke make nicotinism the main etiologic factor of many diseases and the factor which modifies their course. Inflammation of periodontal tissues is included here. The aim of this work was to investigate the effect of tobacco smoke on some clinical parameters of periodontal tissues in adults, habitual smokers of tobacco, who reported with chronic periodontitis, and whose general state of health was otherwise normal. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We enrolled 85 patients with chronic periodontitis. Patients who smoked tobacco since at least 5 years without interruption, 10 cigarettes per day or more, were allocated to one group. The control group consisted of 47 patients who never smoked. We analyzed the Approximal Plaque Index (API), the modified Sulcular Bleeding Index (mSBI), pocket depth, clinical attachment loss, and number of teeth lost due to periodontitis. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The results of clinical tests were analyzed with Statistica P1 version 7.1 software package. Our analysis of API% demonstrated significantly higher values in habitual cigarette smokers. To the contrary, the Sulcular Bleeding Index (mSBI%) was significantly smaller in smokers. Mean pocket depth values and the clinical attachment loss were greater in habitual smokers. Tobacco smokers demonstrated significantly greater mean number of missing teeth due to chronic periodontitis. It follows that tobacco smoking is a relevant risk factor of periodontitis.