AMELX and ENAM Polymorphisms and Dental Caries

Area of Science:

• Genetics
• Oral Health
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Dental caries is a multifactorial disease influenced by various genetic factors.
• Understanding the genetic basis of dental caries is crucial for developing targeted prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between polymorphisms in the AMELX and ENAM genes and dental caries susceptibility in adults.
• To compare gene diversity of AMELX and ENAM between caries-free individuals and those with dental caries.

Main Methods:

• A case-control study involving 81 adults (41 caries-free, 40 with DMFT ≥ 4).
• Data collected via questionnaires on demographic and lifestyle factors.
• Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) used to analyze gene polymorphism in AMELX and ENAM from blood samples.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in TT genotype frequencies for the AMELX gene between caries-free and caries-affected groups.
• No significant difference in TT genotype frequencies for the ENAM gene between the groups, although a trend was observed (P=0.048).

Conclusions:

• The study found no direct relationship between TT and TC genotypes of AMELX and ENAM single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and dental caries susceptibility.
• A potential association between ENAM gene SNP and being caries-free may emerge with larger sample sizes.