Association of natural tooth loss with genetic variation at the human matrix Gla protein locus in elderly women.
Natural tooth loss represents a major medical issue within the elderly population, since it impairs masticatory function critical for oral intake of essential nutrition. Contribution of genetic factors has been implicated in the determination of natural tooth loss; degree of reduction in number of natural teeth remaining intact (NTI) varies among individuals; thus, heterogeneity in NTI might reflect genetic variation within the population. One candidate gene, the matrix Gla protein gene (MGP), has been implicated in the pathogenesis of bone loss through a repression of bone/tooth formation. We have investigated a possible association between the CA repeat polymorphism at the human MGP gene locus and the NTI in 458 elderly Japanese women. In 916 chromosomes tested, ten alleles of the polymorphic nucleotide repeat were observed (designated A1-A10), among which five alleles were regarded as major alleles to be tested for the association. Twenty-seven women who possessed an A6 allele (164 bp) had significantly higher NTI than the remaining participants (n=431), who did not carry an allele of that size (mean: 10.0 teeth vs 5.6 teeth; P=0.007, Mann-Whitney test). An eight-year longitudinal follow-up study of NTI suggested that the genetic variations at the MGP locus did not affect the rate of tooth loss in the elderly period. These results suggest that genetic variation at the MGP gene locus is associated with some determinants for tooth loss in elderly women.
Dentistry and Oral Surgery, Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Medical Center, Tokyo, Japan.
Hirohiko
H
Hirano
Department of Molecular Biology, Institute of Gerontology, Nippon Medical School, 1-396 Kosugi-cho, Nakahara-ku, Kawasaki 211-8533, Japan.
Yoichi
Y
Ezura
Dentistry and Oral Surgery, Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Medical Center, Tokyo, Japan.
Naoyoshi
N
Ishiyama
Dentistry and Oral Surgery, Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Medical Center, Tokyo, Japan.
Masatsune
M
Yamaguchi
Department of Dental Public Health, Nihon University School of Dentistry at Matsudo, Matsudo, Japan.
Ikuo
I
Nasu
Department of Epidemiology, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo, Japan.
Hideo
H
Yoshida
Department of Epidemiology, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo, Japan.
Takao
T
Suzuki
Endocrinology Section, Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Medical Center, Tokyo, Japan.
Takayuki
T
Hosoi
Department of Molecular Biology, Institute of Gerontology, Nippon Medical School, 1-396 Kosugi-cho, Nakahara-ku, Kawasaki 211-8533, Japan. memi@nms.ac.jp.
Mitsuru
M
Emi
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000483:Alleles; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D018900:Dinucleotide Repeats; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D016388:Tooth Loss / Q000235:genetics*; D000097568:Matrix Gla Protein
D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D000097568:Matrix Gla Protein