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NEW YORK, Mar 12 (Reuters Health) - A variation in the gene for fibrinogen, a protein involved in blood clotting as well as inflammation, may increase the risk of severe gum disease, according to new study findings.
Compared to people with healthy gums, patients with gum disease were more likely to carry certain gene variations linked to high levels of fibrinogen.
In the current study, Dr. Ernesto De Nardin and colleagues at the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine, screened 79 people with gum disease and a "control" group of 75 people with healthy gums for two variations of fibrinogen genes that increase levels of the protein. Fifty-one percent of people with gum disease had one or both gene variations, compared with 30% of the control group.
De Nardin's team found that the risk of gum disease was more than tripled in people with the H1H2 gene variation and was more than six times greater in those with the H2H2 variation.
De Nardin presented the findings Saturday in Chicago at the annual meeting of the American Association for Dental Research.
"Persons with the rare form of the fibrinogen gene would add that risk factor to any others associated with the development of periodontal disease," De Nardin said in a prepared statement. "They should pay particular attention to their oral hygiene and perhaps visit their dentist more often than normal."
High levels of fibrinogen are known to increase the risk of heart disease by making it easier for blood clots to form. High levels of the protein can increase inflammation, and perhaps the risk of gum disease, in several ways, according to De Nardin and his colleagues. Not only does the protein provide the structure to which inflammatory cells attach, but it also affects immune responses. In addition, fibrinogen facilitates the growth and invasion of bacteria.
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