Investigating Potential Correlations between Endodontic Pathology and Cardiovascular Diseases Using Epidemiological and Genetic Approaches

Abstract

Introduction: Apical periodontitis (AP) and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are chronic conditions triggered by an inflammatory process and sharing similar pathogeneses and molecular players. Previous studies have suggested that AP may perpetuate a systemic inflammation state and, in turn, contribute to CVD. In this study, we investigated the potential association between endodontic pathology and CVD using epidemiological and genetic approaches. Methods: Epidemiologic analysis was performed by querying the medical and dental records of >2 million patients. We retrieved information on positive/negative history for endodontic pathologies and CVDs using diagnostic and treatment codes from a dental school–based and a hospital-based patient electronic health record system. A case-control genetic association study was also performed; 10 single nucleotide polymorphisms in genes identified as strongly associated with CVDs were genotyped in 195 cases wi