Association of vitamin D binding protein and vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms in Iranian patients with chronic periodontitis

Hematological changes due to malaria - An update

Malaria, a parasitic infection caused by the genus Plasmodium, results to over 20 million reported cases annually worldwide. Most individuals exhibit various symptoms, and blood analysis plays a crucial role in determining the appropriate treatment approach. This study discusses various hematologic complications associated with different Plasmodium species. A review of scientific databases including PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science, Scopus, EMBASE, Magiran, SID, IranMedex was conducted using standard keywords such as Plasmodium, malaria, anemia and blood disorders (hematologic disorder) between 2000 and 2024. The review focused on articles pertaining to clinical trials, prospective cohort, retrospective, cross-sectional and case-control studies. Articles evaluating the effects of malaria on blood cells and indices, with target groups including human and animals, were included. Articles not written in English or Farsi were excluded. Our review revealed that, apart from iron deficiency anemia and vascular dysfunction contributed in part by adhesion of infected RBC to endothelium, decreases in hematocrit and hemoglobin levels, as part of pancytopenia and thrombocytopenia, are characteristic of Plasmodium infection. Additionally, the occurrence of inflammation due to the release of inflammatory cytokines and complement activation can complicate the clinical features of malaria in individuals with hematologic conditions.

Apoptotic effects of biodentine, calcium-enriched mixture (CEM) cement, ferric sulfate, and mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) on human mesenchymal stem cells isolated from the human pulp of exfoliated deciduous teeth

BACKGROUND

Preservation of primary teeth in children is highly important. Pulpotomy is a commonly performed treatment procedure for primary teeth with extensive caries. Thus, biocompatibility of pulpotomy agents is highly important. Biodentine, calcium enriched mixture (CEM) cement, ferric sulfate, and mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) Angelus are commonly used for this purpose. Thus, this study aimed to assess the apoptotic effects of Biodentine, CEM cement, ferric sulfate, and MTA on stem cells isolated from the human pulp of exfoliated deciduous teeth.

METHODS

In this in-vitro, experimental study, stem cells isolated from the human pulp of exfoliated deciduous teeth were exposed to three different concentrations of Biodentine, CEM cement, ferric sulfate, and MTA for different time periods. The cytotoxicity of the materials was evaluated by flow cytometry using the annexin propidium iodide (PI) kit. Data were analyzed by ANOVA and Tukey's test at P<0.05 level of significance.

RESULTS

All four tested materials induced significantly greater apoptosis compared with the control group. The difference in cell apoptosis caused by the first concentration of ferric sulfate and MTA was not significant at 24 hours. In other comparisons, the cytotoxicity of ferric sulfate was significantly lower than that of other materials. Biodentine showed higher cytotoxicity than MTA at first; but this difference faded over time. The cytotoxicity of CEM cement was comparable to that of MTA. The highest cell viability was noted at 24 hours in presence of the minimum concentration of ferric sulfate. The lowest cell viability was noted at 72 hours in presence of the maximum concentration of CEM cement.

CONCLUSIONS

In comparison with other materials, ferric sulfate showed minimum cytotoxicity; the cytotoxicity of the three cements was comparable. It appears that the concentration of ferric sulfate and the composition of cements are responsible for different levels of cytotoxicity.

Association of vitamin D-binding protein polymorphisms and serum 25(OH)D concentration varies among Chinese healthy infants of different VDR-FokI genotypes: A multi-centre cross-sectional study

Hypovitaminosis D during infancy is associated with the development of chronic diseases and poor health later in life. While the effect of environmental factors on vitamin D concentration has been extensively explored, this study aimed to explore the effect of genetic factors on vitamin D concentration among Chinese infants. We conducted a multi-centre cross-sectional study in Hong Kong from July 2019 to May 2021. A candidate genetic approach was adopted to study four selected genetic variants of the vitamin D-binding protein (DBP) and vitamin D receptor (VDR) (rs4588, rs7041, rs2282679 and rs2228570) to examine their associations with measured serum 25(OH)D concentration. A total of 378 Chinese infants aged 2-12 months were recruited in this study. Peripheral blood samples were collected from the infants to measure serum 25(OH)D concentration and extract DNA. Results showed that rs7041T and rs2282679C were significantly associated with lower serum 25(OH)D concentration. Further analysis of the DBP variants revealed that the GC1F allele was significantly associated with lower 25(OH)D concentration and identified as the risk DBP isoform in infants. While our results revealed that there is no direct association between VDR-FokI genotype and serum 25(OH)D concentration, a VDR-FokI genotype-specific pattern was observed in the association between DBP isoforms and serum 25(OH)D concentration. Specifically, significant associations were observed in the DBP genotypes GC1F/F, GC1F/2 and GC1S/2 among VDR-FokI TT/TC carriers, but not in VDR-FokI CC carriers. Our findings lay down the basis for the potential of genetic screening to identify high risk of hypovitaminosis D in Chinese infants.

Profile of vitamin D receptor gene polymorphism TaqI in patients with periodontitis

The present study aimed to assess the incidence of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphism TaqI in patients with periodontitis, and the potential association of this polymorphism with the severity of the disease. This was a case-controlled study, which included 162 adults divided into two groups as follows: Case group (81 patients diagnosed with periodontitis) and control group (81 patients without periodontitis). Venous blood was obtained from each sample from which DNA was extracted. The gene polymorphism was determined using restricted fragment length polymorphism-PCR and DNA sequencing to identify endonuclease restrictions in exon 9 (TaqI). The data were analyzed using an independent samples t-test. VDR gene polymorphisms were detected in periodontitis cases with TT (86.4%), Tt (12.4%) and tt (1.2%) genotypes. DNA sequencing confirmed a change in the sequence of the VDR gene nucleotides in patients with periodontitis. The data indicated that the severity of periodontal tissue damage may be influenced by changes in the nucleotide sequence.

Role of Vitamin D Receptor Gene Polymorphisms on the Susceptibility to Periodontitis: A Meta-Analysis of a Controversial Issue

Background: To assess whether vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms influence the susceptibility to periodontitis. Methods: We retrieved 34 relevant studies, comprising a total of 3848 subjects suffering from periodontitis and 3470 controls for this meta-analysis. The pooled data were analyzed using STATA software. Results: Among all ethnic groups examined, the VDR BsmI polymorphism was associated with periodontitis under the recessive model (odds ratio [OR] = 0.722, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.532-0.980, p = 0.037). There was also a link between the VDR FokI polymorphism and periodontitis in the overall population (dominant model: OR = 1.459, 95% CI: 1.050-2.028, p = 0.025 and allelic model: OR = 1.386, 95% CI: 1.026-1.874, p = 0.034) and in Chinese participants (dominant model: OR = 1.813, 95% CI: 1.185-2.774, p = 0.006; allelic model: OR = 1.602, 95% CI: 1.044-2.459, p = 0.031) when stratified by race. The FokI variant was also correlated with aggressive periodontitis (AP) (dominant model: OR = 2.204, 95% CI: 1.148-4.231, p = 0.018; allelic model: OR = 2.017, 95% CI: 1.365-2.980, p = 0.000; and recessive model: OR = 2.903, 95% CI: 1.520-5.542, p = 0.001). We also showed a correlation between the VDR TaqI variant and periodontitis susceptibility in Caucasian populations (dominant model: OR = 0.525, 95% CI: 0.318-0.866, p = 0.012). The results revealed that there was no relationship between the VDR ApaI gene polymorphism and periodontitis. Conclusions: There was a link between the VDR BsmI and FokI gene polymorphisms and periodontitis in the overall population. In addition, the FokI polymorphism was correlated with AP. There was a link between the TaqI polymorphism and periodontitis in the Caucasian population. The VDR Apal variant, however, was not correlated with periodontitis.