Periodontitis: Genomic instability implications and associated risk factors

Periodontitis is a bacterial infection characterized by the presence of a dense inflammatory infiltrate, which may result in increased DNA damage and other nuclear/cellular abnormalities. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the periodontal diseases influence on DNA damage and other nuclear/cellular abnomalies formation as cancer risk markers. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the periodontal diseases effect, according to its severity, on the occurrence of DNA damage and other nuclear/cellular abnormalities. This is a cross-sectional study with 77 subjects from the dentistry clinic of the University of Santa Cruz do Sul, Brazil, divided in control group (26 subjects), moderate periodontal disease group (26 subjects) and severe periodontal disease group (25 subjects). All subjects answered self-referenced questionnaires, underwent periodontal clinical examinations and allowed the collection of oral mucosa cells for the BMCyt. In relation to DNA damage biomarkers (micronuclei (MN) and/or nuclear buds (NBUD)), our results indicated no increase in MN frequencies (p > 0.05), however it indicated significant difference in NBUD frequencies between groups (p < 0.024). This result suggests that the periodontal disease status may influence DNA damage. Regarding the other nuclear/cellular abnormalities, was observed a significant difference in the binucleated (BN) frequencies between groups (p < 0.05). Moreover, the periodontitis severity was associated to an increase in the combined (summed) frequency of cells with different levels of DNA damage (MN and/or NBUD), cytokinetic defects (BN cells) and/or cell death (karyorrhexis, pyknotic and karyolytic cells) (r = 0.235; p = 0.040). Periodontal disease depending on its severity, induces nuclear anomalies in buccal cells.