Heritability estimates for dental caries and sucrose sweetness preference.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to determine heritability estimates for dental caries traits and sucrose sweetness preference.


METHODS
Participants included 115 pairs of twins 4-7-years-old. Caries exams followed NIDCR criteria where the severity of the lesion was also determined. Twins ranked their preference for five concentrations of sucrose/grape juice solutions (0.15-1.17M) with a Face Scale. Variables submitted to analysis: (1) surface-based caries prevalence rate (SBCPR); (2) lesion severity index (LSI); (3) sucrose sweetness preference score (SSPS). Heritability analyses were performed with the SOLAR software package.


RESULTS
Heritability estimates adjusted for age and gender were: SBCPR-h(2)=64.6 (p<.00001), LSI-h(2)=61.7 (p<.00001) and SSPS-h(2)=55.2 (p<.00001). Treating SPSS as a covariate in the SBCPR and LSI models did not alter heritability estimates.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that variation in dental caries traits and sucrose sweetness preference have a significant genetic contribution that is mediated independently.
Bretz
Walter A
WA
College of Dentistry, New York University, 345 East 24th St., New York, NY 10010, USA. walter.bretz@nyu.edu
Corby
Patricia M A
PM
Melo
Mário R
MR
Coelho
Mânia Q
MQ
Costa
Simone M
SM
Robinson
Miguel
M
Schork
Nicholas J
NJ
Drewnowski
Adam
A
Hart
Thomas C
TC
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000235:genetics*; D019422:Dietary Sucrose; D004200:Diseases in Twins / Q000235:genetics*; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000502:physiology; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D010641:Phenotype; D013649:Taste / Q000235:genetics*; D014427:Twins
D019422:Dietary Sucrose