Altered expression of STAT genes in periodontitis

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Gholami, Leila^a | Movafagh, Abolfazl^b | Badrlou, Elham^b | Nazer, Naghme^c | Yari, Mohsen^d | Sadeghi, Ghasem^e | Mirzajani, Sara^f | Shadnoush, Mahdi^g | Sayad, Arezou^{b; h; *} | Ghafouri-Fard, Soudeh^{b; *}

Affiliations: [a] Department of Periodontics, Dental Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran | [b] Department of Medical Genetics, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran | [c] Department of Electrical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran | [d] Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran | [e] Bureau of Dentistry, Vice Chancellery for Treatment, Ministry of Health and Education, Tehran, Iran | [f] Pediatric Cell Therapy Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran | [g] Department of Clinical Nutrition, Faculty of Nutrition and Food Technology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran | [h] Dental Research Center, Research Institute for Dental Sciences, Dental School, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding authors: Arezou Sayad and Soudeh Ghafouri-Fard, Department of Medical Genetics, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Tel./Fax: +98 2123872572; E-mails: ar.sayad@yahoo.com, s.ghafourifard@sbmu.ac.ir.

Abstract: Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (STAT) pathway is functionally located downstream of Janus kinases proteins and can integrate signals from diverse pathways, thus regulating several aspects of immune responses. Although contribution of STAT proteins in the pathogenesis of several inflammatory conditions has been confirmed, their role in the development of periodontitis has been less appraised. Thus, we assessed levels of STAT transcripts in the periodontal tissues and circulation of affected individuals compared with the corresponding controls. Expression of STAT1 was remarkably lower in tissues samples of patients compared with control tissues (Ratio of mean expression (RME) = 0.15, SE = 0.99, P value = 0.01). Expression of STAT3 was lower in total periodontitis tissues compared with total control tissues (RME = 0.20, SE = 0.95, P value = 0.02). Expression of STAT6 was higher in total periodontitis tissues compared with total control tissues (RME = 0.5.38, SE = 0.74, P value < 0.001). Expressions of other STAT genes were statistically similar in tissues obtained from cases and controls. Moreover, blood levels of all STAT genes were statistically similar between patients and controls. Correlation analysis demonstrated significant correlations between tissues levels of individual STAT genes as well as between their blood levels. However, tissue and blood levels of each STAT gene were not correlated. The current investigation potentiates the role of certain STAT genes in the development of this immune-related condition and warrants functional assays to clarify the mechanism.

Keywords: STAT, periodontitis, expression

DOI: 10.3233/HAB-210444

Journal: Human Antibodies, vol. 29, no. 3, pp. 209-216, 2021