The Relevance of DNA Methylation and Histone Modification in Periodontitis: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Background: Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease involving an interplay between bacteria, inflammation, host response genes, and environmental factors. The manifestation of epigenetic factors during periodontitis pathogenesis and periodontal inflammation is still not well understood, with limited reviews on histone modification with periodontitis management. This scoping review aims to evaluate current evidence of global and specific DNA methylation and histone modification in periodontitis and discuss the gaps and implications for future research and clinical practice. Methods: A scoping literature search of three electronic databases was performed in SCOPUS, MEDLINE (PubMed) and EMBASE. As epigenetics in periodontitis is an emerging research field, a scoping review was conducted to identify the extent of studies available and describe the overall context and applicability of these results. Results: Overall, 30 studies were evaluated, and the findings confirmed that epigenetic changes in periodontitis comprise specific modifications to DNA methylation patterns and histone proteins modification, which can either dampen or promote the inflammatory response to bacterial challenge. Conclusions: The plasticity of epigenetic modifications has implications for the future development of targeted epi-drugs and diagnostic tools in periodontitis. Such advances could be invaluable for the early detection and monitoring of susceptible individuals.

Salivary histone deacetylase in periodontal disease: A cross‐sectional pilot study

“…In recent years, research efforts have delved into epigenetic modifications, which refer to reversible shifts in gene expression that are not encoded in the DNA sequence and include DNA methylation, histone modification and non-coding RNAs. [14][15][16] These changes to the epigenome can be evoked by environmental and behavioural stimuli throughout life. The role of epigenetic factors in periodontitis has been reviewed, [16][17][18][19][20][21] however, reported detection of histone modification enzymes, particularly in saliva, is limited.…”

“…[14][15][16] These changes to the epigenome can be evoked by environmental and behavioural stimuli throughout life. The role of epigenetic factors in periodontitis has been reviewed, [16][17][18][19][20][21] however, reported detection of histone modification enzymes, particularly in saliva, is limited.…”

“…Given that plaque biofilm may be responsible for only 20 per cent of the risk of periodontitis, 13 environmental factors are of interest in periodontitis aetiology and prognosis due to their potential implications for modifying disease susceptibility. In recent years, research efforts have delved into epigenetic modifications, which refer to reversible shifts in gene expression that are not encoded in the DNA sequence and include DNA methylation, histone modification and non‐coding RNAs 14–16 . These changes to the epigenome can be evoked by environmental and behavioural stimuli throughout life.…”

“…These changes to the epigenome can be evoked by environmental and behavioural stimuli throughout life. The role of epigenetic factors in periodontitis has been reviewed, 16–21 however, reported detection of histone modification enzymes, particularly in saliva, is limited. Playing a critical role in epigenetic changes, histone deacetylase enzymes (HDACs) remove acetyl groups to control histone acetylation, resulting in chromatin remodelling into a closed conformation, governing the expression of oncogenes, tumour suppressors, inflammatory genes and cellular function genes 22 .…”

Differential Expressions of ADAM28 and ADAMTSL3 in Gingival Tissue of Patients with Periodontitis

“…Periodontitis was reported to be strongly associated with age, gender, oral hygiene, smoking status, ethnicity, lower socioeconomic status, and systemic diseases (Tabassum et al 2022), including obesity, diabetes, nonalcoholic liver disease, and cancers (Mei et al 2023, Zhang et al 2023. Periodontitis with a high prevalence in older adults was pathologically caused by dysbiotic changes of the subgingival microbiota attached to the tooth, and finally leading to bone destruction, tooth movement and tooth loss if left untreated (Cardenas et al 2022, Liaw et al 2022. Thereafter, patients with periodontitis usually showed affects their quality of life by the decreased self-confidence and poor esthetics (Elgendy et al 2023).…”