Estrogen receptor-α gene polymorphisms in patients with periodontitis

Background: Recent studies have shown that estrogen receptor-alpha (ER-alpha) gene polymorphisms are associated with alterations in bone mineral density and osteoporosis. It is unclear whether ER-alpha gene polymorphisms are associated with alveolar bone loss in patients with periodontitis. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between ER-alpha gene polymorphisms and periodontitis. Methods: Ninety patients with aggressive periodontitis, 34 patients with chronic periodontitis and 91 healthy controls were recruited in this study. All these subjects belonged to the Han Chinese race. DNA was extracted from peripheral blood of each subject. The ER-alpha gene was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) with PvuII and XbaI restriction endonucleases. Results: The detection frequency of XX genotype was significantly higher in the chronic periodontitis patients than in the healthy controls (11.8% vs. 4.4%, p < 0.05). The difference between the female chronic periodontitis patients and healthy controls (26.7% vs. 2.1%, p < 0.01) was statistically significant, but no difference was found between the male patients and controls (p > 0.05). The detection frequency of PvuII ER genotypes was not statistically different among the three groups (p > 0.05). Conclusions: In female Han Chinese population, the XX genotype may be a risk indicator for chronic periodontitis.