Renin-angiotensin gene polymorphisms in relation to severe chronic periodontitis

Evidence suggests that the ultimate product of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), angiotensin II, exerts inflammatory actions. The present study aimed to evaluate the inter-relation between gene polymorphisms of the RAS components; angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), angiotensinogen (AGT) and angiotensin II type-I receptor (AT1R), and severe chronic periodontitis (CP).

DNA was obtained from peripheral blood of 90 CP patients and 126 periodontally healthy subjects, and the clinical parameters were recorded. ACE I/D, AGT M235T and AT1R A1166C polymorphisms were genotyped by the PCR-RFLP method. Chi-square, anova and logistic regression methods were used in statistical analyses.

The frequency of the ACE D allele was significantly lower in the CP group than the healthy group (p(corr)=0.015). CP subjects exhibited increased C allele carriage and C allele frequency of the AT1R gene (p(corr)=0.03 and p(corr)=0.03, respectively). All clinical parameters of CP patients were found to be similar in variant allele-carrying and non-carrying subjects (p>0.05).

The present findings suggest that ACE I/D and AT1R polymorphisms might be associated with susceptibility to CP but not with disease severity. The D allele of ACE I/D might be associated with decreased, whereas the C variant of AT1R A1166C might be associated with an elevated risk for CP in Turkish population.