Association between AMELX polymorphisms and dental caries in Koreans.
OBJECTIVE
Dental caries is greatly influenced disease by environmental factors, but recently there are increasing evidences for a genetic component in caries susceptibility. AMELX is the gene coding amelogenin, which is the most important factor for normal enamel development. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between dental caries and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in AMELX.


METHODS
For this study, we used DNA samples collected from 120 unrelated individuals older than 12 years of age. All of them were examined for their oral and dental status under the WHO recommended criteria, and clinical information such as DMFT and DMFS were evaluated. Individuals whose DMFT and DMFS index lower than 2 were designated 'very low caries experience' and higher than 3 were designated 'higher caries experience'. Genomic DNA was extracted from hair samples, and single nucleotide polymorphisms of AMELX were genotyped. Genotyping of three SNPs (rs17878486, rs5933871, rs5934997, intron) in AMELX gene was determined by direct sequencing and analyzed with SNPStats.


RESULTS
There were significant associations between rs5933871 and rs5934997 SNP and caries susceptibility in the water fluoridation group.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that SNPs of AMELX might be associated with dental caries susceptibility in Korean population.
Department of Oral Pathology and Institute of Oral Biology, School of Dentistry, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
S W
SW
Kang
I
I
Yoon
H W
HW
Lee
J
J
Cho
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D053523:Amelogenin / Q000235:genetics*; D003596:Cytosine; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000235:genetics*; D003733:Dental Caries Susceptibility / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005457:Fluoridation; D005787:Gene Frequency / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D006239:Haplotypes / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007438:Introns / Q000235:genetics; D015810:Linkage Disequilibrium / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics*; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012737:Sex Factors; D013941:Thymine; D055815:Young Adult
C507199:AMELX protein, human; D053523:Amelogenin; D003596:Cytosine; D013941:Thymine