Association of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene variants with dental caries and gingivitis in Czech children
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| Year of publication | 2018 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
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| Description | Oral bacteria (cariogenic bacteria or periopathogens), host immune system and genetic predisposition play a role in the etiopathogenesis of dental caries and gingivitis. Susceptibility to inflammation and hostpathogen interactions may be modified by functional polymorphisms in genes linked with the folate metabolic pathway, such as methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), methionine synthase (MTR) and methionine synthase reductase (MTRR). The aim of our study was to analyze four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the genes for these enzymes in Czech children with known oral status. This casecontrol study included 592 children aged 1315 years from the European Longitudinal Study of Pregnancy and Childhood (ELSPAC). Oral status was recorded using DMFT (decaymissingfilled teeth) index and gingival index, the presence of 10 selected oral pathogenic bacteria was analyzed, and MTHFR C677T (rs1801133), MTHFR A1298C (rs1801131), MTR A2756G (rs1805087) and MTRR A66G (rs1801394) SNPs were determined by qPCR. Children with dental caries (N=446) more often suffered by gingivitis than caries free children (controls, N=145), thus gingivitis was associated with dental caries (P< 0.001). There were no significant differences in the allele or genotype frequencies in both MTR and MTRR SNPs between patients and controls. However, MTHFR 1298 AA genotype vs. AC+CC genotypes was found as protective factor for dental caries development (P< 0.01) and MTHFR 677 CC genotype vs. CT+TT genotypes was associated with the nonpresence of Prevotella intermedia, an important periopathogen. It seems that children with common variants in MTHFR gene, and thus normal ability to utilize folic acid, are protected against dental caries and gingivitis. The study was supported by Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic, grant nr. 1730439A, funds provided by the Faculty of Medicine MU to junior researcher Petra Borilova Linhartova, grant GACR GB1437368G, and the project MUNI/A/1008/2017. |
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