Detection of Salivary miRNAs That Predict Chronic Periodontitis Progression: A Cohort Study

The Expression Patterns of Non-Coding RNAs in Periodontal Disease

During the last few decades there has been a growing interest in understanding the involvement of epigenetics in the pathogenesis and treatment of periodontal disease. Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), including microRNAs (miRNAs), long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs), may serve as epigenetic modifiers affecting the expression of genes involved in the pathogenesis of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. There is increasing evidence supporting the idea that the function of all three types of ncRNAs seems to be interdependent. LncRNAs can act as miRNA decoys, while circRNAs can act as miRNA sponges, leading to the re-expression of miRNA target genes. The purpose of this review is to evaluate the expression patterns of ncRNAs in periodontal disease. Studies demonstrate a positive correlation between miRNA expression and periodontitis; however, this cannot be claimed for lncRNAs and circRNAs, which appear to be differentially expressed in periodontitis patients. Several studies have also suggested utilizing ncRNAs as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in periodontitis, or even as potential therapeutic targets; Nevetheless, the evidence to support this is premature. Future well-designed research remains necessary to establish the functional role of ncRNAs in the evolution and progression of periodontal disease.

Salivary Extracellular Vesicles: Biomarkers and Beyond in Human Diseases

Extracellular vesicles, as bioactive molecules, have been extensively studied. There are abundant studies in the literature on their biogenesis, secretion, structure, and content, and their roles in pathophysiological processes. Extracellular vesicles have been reviewed as biomarkers for use in diagnostic tools. Saliva contains many extracellular vesicles, and compared with other body fluids, it is easier to obtain in a non-invasive way, making its acquisition more easily accepted by patients. In recent years, there have been numerous new studies investigating the role of salivary extracellular vesicles as biomarkers. These studies have significant implications for future clinical diagnosis. Therefore, in this paper, we summarize and review the potential applications of salivary extracellular vesicles as biomarkers, and we also describe their other functions (e.g., hemostasis, innate immune defense) in both oral and non-oral diseases.

Diagnostic potential of miR-200 family members in gingival crevicular fluid for chronic periodontitis: correlation with clinical parameters and therapeutic implications

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential of miR-200 family members in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) as diagnostic biomarkers for chronic periodontitis (CP), aiming to provide valuable insights for the early detection and management of the disease.

METHODS

GSE89081 dataset profiled miRNAs in GCF derived from 5 healthy and 5 periodontitis was analyzed by GEO2R. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to quantify the expression levels of miR-200 family members (miR-200a-3p, miR-200a-5p, miR-200b-3p, miR-200b-5p, miR-200c-3p, miR-200c-5p, miR-141-3p, miR-141-5p, and miR-429) in the GCF samples from 103 CP patients and 113 healthy controls. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to evaluate the diagnostic potential of miR-200 family members in differentiating CP patients from healthy controls.

RESULTS

By analyzing the GSE89081 dataset, miR-200a-5p, miR-200b-5p and miR-200c-5p were significantly upregulated in GCF of the CP patients compared to the healthy control. In this study, miR-200a-3p, miR-200a-5p, miR-200b-3p, miR-200b-5p, miR-200c-3p, miR-200c-5p were significantly increased in GCF of CP patients compared to the healthy control, while miR-141 and miR-429 did not show significant differences. MiR-200a, -200b and 200c had good diagnostic value, and when these miRNAs were combined, they demonstrated excellent diagnostic value for CP with an AUC of 0.997, sensitivity of 99.03%, and specificity of 98.23%. MiR-200a, -200b and 200c in GCF showed significant and positive correlation with plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), bleeding on probing (BOP), clinical attachment level (CAL), and probing pocket depth (PPD).

CONCLUSION

MiR-200a, -200b and 200c in GCF may serve as potential biomarkers for the early diagnosis of CP, which was correlated with clinical parameters, being therapeutic targets for CP.

Salivary leukocyte esterase activity by SillHa is a risk indicator of periodontal disease

BACKGROUND

There is increasing evidence that diagnostic salivary tests measuring inflammatory biomarkers are being developed to assess inflammatory status for early detection, prevention, and progression of periodontal disease. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate and identify the salivary biomarker that can predict the inflammatory status of periodontal disease.

METHODS

A total of 36 patients (28 women and 8 men) with an average age of 57 years were investigated. Unstimulated saliva was collected from the recruited subjects and analyzed using SillHa, a saliva-testing device that measures bacteria count, saliva buffer capacity, acidity, leukocyte esterase, protein, and ammonia. Periodontal parameters were then obtained by clinical examination and initial periodontal therapy was performed. Data obtained with SillHa were compared with clinical periodontal parameters at baseline, re-examination (three months from baseline), and final examination (six months from re-examination).

RESULTS

Leukocyte esterase activity in saliva measured by SillHa; BOP and PCR measured by clinical examination showed a significant difference between baseline and final examination and between re-examination and final examination. Patients in the lower median group (group 1) had a significant difference in leukocyte esterase activity between baseline and final examination and re-examination and final examination. In addition, patients in Group 1 had significantly lower BOP between baseline and final examination. While patients in the higher median group (group 2) showed a modest decrease in leukocyte esterase activity, which was significant only between baseline and final examination, no significant changes were observed concerning BOP. Furthermore, the associated systemic disease was observed in 30% and 81.2% of group 1 and 2 patients, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The results suggest that leukocyte esterase activity in saliva measured by SillHa could serve as a reliable diagnostic marker for monitoring inflammatory status in periodontal disease.

Salivary biomarkers as key to monitor personalized oral healthcare and precision dentistry: A scoping review

Personalized Oral Healthcare has recently become the new trend word in medicine and dentistry. In this context, saliva diagnostics using various biomarkers seem to be the gateway to personalized dental diagnostics and therapy. But the terminology is not (yet) uniformly defined, furthermore it is unclear to what extent which salivary markers play a relevant role in the therapeutic decision making. In this Scoping Review, an electronic search was conducted in PubMed and Web of Science databases using medical subject headings (MESH terms) “saliva”, “biomarker”, “personality/persons”, and “dentistry”. Only human studies were included, in which repeated salivary measurements were performed to analyze monitoring effects with at least ten patients per group. PRISMA-ScR and Tricco guidelines were followed: (i) to examine what salivary biomarkers have been explored in terms of personalized oral healthcare and precision dentistry, (ii) to investigate the clinical relevance for oral health and its correlation to systemic health, and (iii) to summarize an outlook for future developments based on these results. Out of 899 studies, a total of 57 were included for data extraction in this Scoping Review, mainly focusing on periodontal therapy and patient monitoring. Salivary biomarkers have shown the potential to change the field of dentistry in all dental disciplines as a key for personalized workflows. The increasing interest in dental research is obvious, demonstrated by the growing number of publications in recent years. At this time, however, the predominant discipline is periodontology, which allows biomarker-based monitoring of the disease prevention and progression. The studies included showed heterogeneous methods using manifolds biomarkers. Therefore, no uniformly accepted concept can be presented today. Further clinical research with well-defined outcomes including standardized procedures is necessary.

MicroRNA-28-5p as a potential diagnostic biomarker for chronic periodontitis and its role in cell proliferation and inflammatory response

Background/purpose

Recent studies have pointed to the crucial role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in chronic periodontitis (CP). This study investigated the regulation and potential mechanisms of miR-28-5p in CP patients and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced periodontal ligament cells (PDLCs).

Materials and methods

76 CP patients and 71 periodontally healthy subjects were included. RT-qPCR was employed to examine miR-28-5p and sphingosine kinase −1 (SPHK1) in subjects’ gingival sulcus fluid and PDLCs. The diagnostic performance was evaluated by measuring the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Pearson correlation coefficient (r) was adopted to explore the statistical relation between indicators. PDLCs proliferation and inflammation factors were determined by CCK-8 and ELISA assay. The direct target gene was validated by a dual-luciferase reporter assay.

Results

miR-28-5p was lowly expressed in CP patients and LPS-induced PDLCs (P < 0.05). AUC for miR-28-5p was 0.937, which had certain diagnostic value. Additionally, miR-28-5p was negatively correlated with periodontal clinical indicators and inflammatory factors. Cell proliferation of PDLCs was inhibited and inflammation was promoted under LPS induction, however, elevated miR-28-5p diminished the effect of LPS (P < 0.05). SPHK1 acts as a miR-28-5p target and the elevation of SPHK1 caused by LPS treatment was inhibited by the increased miR-28-5p.

Conclusion

Present study revealed that miR-28-5p could be served as a potential diagnostic biomarker for CP. And miR-28-5p may participate in CP progression by targeting SPHK1 to regulate the proliferation and inflammation of PDLCs. This study may offer insights into CP treatment and diagnosis.

Salivary Exosomes: From Waste to Promising Periodontitis Treatment

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory condition that causes tooth loss by destroying the supporting components of the teeth. In most cases, it is difficult to diagnose early and results in severe phases of the disease. Given their endogenous origins, exosomes, which are rich in peptides, lipids, and nucleic acids, have emerged as a cell-free therapeutic approach with low immunogenicity and increased safety. Because the constituents of exosomes can be reprogrammed depending on disease states, exosomes are increasingly being evaluated to act as potential diagnostic biomarkers for dental disease, including periodontitis. Exosomes also have been demonstrated to be involved in inflammatory signal transmission and periodontitis progression in vitro, indicating that they could be used as therapeutic targets for periodontal regeneration. Nevertheless, a review on the involvement of salivary exosomes in periodontitis in impacting the successful diagnosis and treatment of periodontitis is still lacking in the literature. Thus, this review is intended to scrutinize recent advancements of salivary exosomes in periodontitis treatment. We summarize recent research reports on the emerging roles and characteristics of salivary exosomes, emphasizing the different expressions and changed biological roles of exosomes in periodontitis.