Evaluation of TREM1 Gene Expression in Stage II Grade A Periodontitis Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: An Ex-vivo Study

Abstract

Introduction: Periodontitis and Diabetes Mellitus (DM) are two prevalent chronic conditions that are independently associated with dysregulated immune responses. The Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid Cells 1 (TREM1) gene plays a crucial role in modulating immune responses and its dysregulation has been implicated in various inflammatory disorders. Aim: To investigate the expression levels of the TREM1 gene in healthy individuals as well as in those diagnosed with periodontitis, with and without DM, exploring the potential implications of the interplay between these conditions. Materials and Methods: In this ex-vivo study conducted at the Department of Periodontology, Saveetha Dental College and Hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, from July 2023 to January 2024, gingival tissue samples were collected from three distinct groups: Group 1 (healthy individuals, n=10), Group 2 (periodontitis patients, n=10) and Group 3 (periodontitis patients with DM, n=10). Total Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) was extracted using a standardised protocol and complementary DNA (cDNA) synthesis was performed with a reverse transcription kit. Quantitative Real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was employed to quantify TREM1 gene expression. An in-silico functional analysis was conducted to explore the possible mechanisms. Statistical analysis was performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 27.0 (IBM Corp.) and GraphPad Prism 7.0 (GraphPad Software). A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The analysis revealed distinct patterns of TREM1 gene expression among the three groups. In periodontitis patients, TREM1 expression was significantly upregulated compared to healthy controls (p<0.001). In periodontitis patients with DM, TREM1 expression was significantly downregulated compared to periodontitis patients (p-value=0.0003) and upregulated compared to healthy individuals, although not significantly (p-value=0.229). Conclusion: The analysis revealed distinct patterns of TREM1 gene expression among the three groups. Notably, there was a decrease in TREM1 gene expression levels in the periodontitis with diabetes group compared to the periodontitis group.

Keywords

• biomarker
• genetics
• innovation
• novel
• triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 1