Abstract
BackgroundThe pathogenesis of dental caries remains unclear, with increasing evidence suggesting that genetic susceptibility plays an essential role. Previous studies have reported the association between genetic polymorphisms in lactotransferrin (LTF) and the risk of dental caries with inconsistent results.MethodsA systematic literature search of the PubMed, Cochrane Library, HuGE and Google Scholar databases was performed by two authors independently for papers published before December 5, 2019 on the association between genetic variants in LTF and the risk of dental caries. We adopted the subsequent inclusion criteria to assess study eligibility: 1) The studies were based on human subjects; 2) the presence of dental caries should be screened for in both the case group and the control group; and 3) genotype data on variants in LTF were available in both the case group and the control group. We calculated odds ratios (ORs) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) by using random-effects models to assess the association of genetic variants in LTF with the risk of dental caries. We also performed a gene-based analysis to explore the joint association of multiple genetic variants in LTF with the risk of dental caries.ResultsOur systematic literature search identified six relevant papers for analysis. We found no significant association between rs1126478 and the risk of dental caries when meta-analysing the genotype distribution between subjects with dental caries and those without dental caries (additive model: OR = 1.41; 95% CI = 0.98–2.02; P = 0.065). However, further analysis indicated that rs1126478 was associated with dental risk in subjects who had moderate or severe dental caries compared to those without dental caries (P < 0.0001). The gene-based analysis indicated that multiple genetic variants in LTF were jointly associated with the risk of dental caries (P = 0.002).ConclusionsThe present meta-analysis revealed some evidence of the association between rs1126478 and dental caries and that multiple genetic variants in LTF are jointly associated with the risk of dental caries. Our findings need to be validated by larger studies that adjust for important confounding factors for the risk of dental caries.
Highlights
The pathogenesis of dental caries remains unclear, with increasing evidence suggesting that genetic susceptibility plays an essential role
Compared with the control group, we found a significant association in patients with a low level of dental caries (OR = 0.65, 95% Confidence interval (CI): 0.47– 0.90, P = 0.008) but no significant association in patients with a moderate level of dental caries (OR = 1.04, 95% CI: 0.80–1.34, P = 0.792) or in patients with a severe level of dental caries (OR = 1.20, 95% CI: 0.94–1.54, P = 0.148)
In summary, the present meta-analysis revealed no significant association of the genetic variant rsl126478 in LTF with the risk of dental caries
Summary
The pathogenesis of dental caries remains unclear, with increasing evidence suggesting that genetic susceptibility plays an essential role. Dental caries is a complex multi-factorial disease resulting from long-term interaction between acidproducing bacteria and multiple biological, physical and environmental risk factors, such as salivary flow, diet, oral hygiene and fluoride exposure [5, 6]. These variables alone cannot entirely explain the onset and development of dental caries. Increasing evidence suggests that genetic susceptibility plays an essential role in the etiological mechanisms of dental caries [7]
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