Evaluation of the Effect of Smoking on Pyroptosis in Periodontal Pathogenesis

Overview

This study investigates the impact of smoking on pyroptosis and inflammatory signaling pathways in systemically healthy individuals with various periodontal conditions. The research compares smokers and non-smokers across three clinical categories, resulting in six study groups: Healthy Control, Gingivitis, and Periodontitis. The study specifically evaluates the levels of IL-1beta, IL-18, and NLRP3 through ELISA, and the gene expression of TLR1, TLR4, and TLR6 through RT-PCR, to understand how cigarette smoke modulates innate immune responses in the absence of other systemic diseases.

The aim of this research is to clarify the molecular link between tobacco use and pyroptotic cell death pathways in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease. To eliminate systemic bias, only systemically healthy participants are included. The study design consists of 6 distinct groups based on a 2x3 matrix (Smoking Status: Yes/No × Periodontal Status: Healthy/Gingivitis/Periodontitis). Protein levels of the NLRP3 inflammasome and pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1beta, IL-18) are measured in periodontal tissues using the ELISA method. Furthermore, the mRNA expressions of Toll-like receptors (TLR1, TLR4, and TLR6) are analyzed via RT-PCR. These findings will help determine how smoking influences tissue destruction mechanisms specifically through the pyroptosis pathway in different stages of gum disease.

Conditions