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Sex and Age Effects on Healthy Gingival Transcriptomic Patterns
J L Ebersole1, S S Kirakodu2, L M Nguyen1
1Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, USA.
Journal of Dental Research
|May 26, 2023
Summary
Sex and age significantly impact gingival tissue gene expression, influencing periodontitis risk. These sex-based biological differences emerge early in life, affecting immune and structural gene patterns.
Area of Science:
- Oral biology
- Immunology
- Genomics
Background:
- Chronic inflammatory diseases, including periodontitis, exhibit demographic associations like sex and age.
- Periodontitis prevalence increases with age and is higher in males.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate sex and age-related differences in the healthy gingival transcriptome of nonhuman primates.
- To correlate gene expression patterns with clinical measures of periodontitis, such as bleeding on probing (BOP) and probing pocket depth (PPD).
Main Methods:
- Analysis of gingival tissue gene expression in 36 Macaca mulatta across four age groups (young, adolescent, adult, aged).
- Stratification of transcriptome data by sex and age.
- Comparison of gene expression with clinical BOP and PPD measurements.
Main Results:
- Significant sex differences in gene expression were observed, increasing with age.
- Females showed upregulated immune/inflammatory response genes; males showed upregulated tissue structural genes.
- Gene expression correlated differently with BOP/PPD between sexes, with males showing substantial overlap.
Conclusions:
- Substantial sex-related variations in gingival biology exist, influenced by age and detectable even in adolescents.
- Early-life "programming" of gingival tissues related to sex may predispose individuals to periodontitis.
- Sex and age are critical factors in understanding gingival tissue homeostasis and periodontitis susceptibility.
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