Aim: Genetic factors have recently been associated with presence of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans subgingivally in populations living in industrialized countries. The aim of this study was to analyse associations between Interleukin-6 (IL6) single nucleotide polymorphisms and presence and levels of A. actinomycetemcomitans and other subgingival microbes in a rural Indian population.
Subjects and methods: A total of 251 individuals from a rural village in India with a periodontal phenotype ranging from healthy to severe periodontitis were included. Checkerboard DNA-DNA analysis was performed to detect 40 periodontal taxa in subgingival plaque samples. Genomic DNA was extracted to genotype five polymorphisms in the IL6 promoter region.
Results: The IL6-74 GG genotype was associated with high (above median) counts of A. actinomycetemcomitans (both in all subjects and in periodontally healthy only) and with presence and counts of Capnocytophaga sputigena. Differences in detection of several other bacteria were noted between periodontitis and healthy subjects.
Conclusions: These findings support the influence of genetic factors on the subgingival microbiota.
© 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.