Distribution of the Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products Gene Polymorphisms in Patients With Chronic Periodontitis: A Preliminary Study

Background: Periodontal diseases are viewed today as multifactorial problems initiated and sustained by bacteria but significantly modified by the body's response to bacterial plaque. A recent study suggested that receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) could be involved in the pathophysiology of periodontitis. The aim of this study was to investigate a possible association of 3 common polymorphisms in the RAGE gene with chronic periodontitis. Methods: We studied 101 Caucasian patients with chronic periodontitis together with 162 orally healthy subjects. Three polymorphisms, one in intron 7 (1704G/T), second in intron 8 (2184A/G), and the third in exon 3 (G82S) of the RAGE gene, were investigated by polymerase chain reaction methods (PCR) with subsequent enzymatic restriction with BfaI, BsmFI, or AluI, respectively. Results: A statistically significant difference in allele frequencies between patients and the reference group was found for intron variant 1704G/T ( P = 0.02, P corr >0.05). There was no significant difference in genotype or allele frequency distributions between groups for intron variant 2184A/G or for the exon variant exchanging amino acid Gly for Ser at position 82 (G82S). Conclusions: We can speculate that susceptibility to the development of chronic periodontitis could be influenced by the 1704G/T polymorphism of the RAGE gene, independently of diabetes. J Periodontol 2001;72:1742‐1746.