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Robust Ligature-Induced Model of Murine Periodontitis for the Evaluation of Oral Neutrophils
Published on: January 21, 2020
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Association between periodontitis and COVID-19 infection: a two-sample Mendelian randomization study.
Zhaoqiang Meng1, Yujia Ma2, Wenjing Li1,3,4
1Beijing Laboratory of Biomedical Materials, Department of Geriatric Dentistry, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, China.
Peerj
|January 31, 2023
Summary
Periodontitis and elevated gingival crevicular fluid interleukin-1β levels are causally linked to increased susceptibility to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Further research is needed to confirm these findings for potential non-pharmaceutical interventions.
Area of Science:
- Genetics
- Infectious Diseases
- Oral Health
Background:
- Epidemiological studies suggest a link between periodontitis and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but causality remains unproven.
- Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory condition affecting the gums and supporting bone structures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential causal relationship between periodontitis and susceptibility to COVID-19 using two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR).
- To assess the association between specific periodontal pathogens and inflammatory markers with COVID-19 risk.
Main Methods:
- A two-sample MR analysis utilized summary data from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of European descent.
- Periodontal complex traits (PCTs) and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) interleukin-1β (IL-1β) were used as proxies for periodontitis.
- Inverse-variance weighted (IVW) and weighted median methods were employed, with MR-Egger regression used to test for pleiotropy.
Main Results:
- A positive causal association was found between periodontitis and increased COVID-19 risk (ORs ranging from 1.02 to 1.03).
- Elevated GCF IL-1β levels also showed a causal effect on COVID-19 risk (IVW ORs of 1.02-1.03).
- No significant directional pleiotropy was detected, supporting the validity of the MR analysis.
Conclusions:
- The study provides evidence suggesting a causal link between periodontitis, higher GCF IL-1β levels, and increased COVID-19 susceptibility.
- These findings may indicate a novel non-pharmaceutical approach for COVID-19 prevention, pending confirmation through randomized controlled trials.
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