Association of interleukin-1 polymorphisms with periodontal disease

Background: Several studies have investigated genetic polymorphisms for cytokines as potential genetic markers for periodontitis. Some studies have found that interleukin (IL)-1A and IL-1B polymorphisms are associated with a higher severity of periodontitis, while others found no association. The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of the IL-1A-889 and IL-1B+3954 (previously described as +3953) polymorphisms in Chileans and their association with periodontitis. Methods: Subjects aged 20 to 48 were selected from people requesting dental treatment at a public health center in Santiago, Chile. A case-control study of 330 cases of periodontitis patients and 101 healthy controls was performed. A full-month periodontal examination was performed on each subject and a structured questionnaire was conducted to determine smoking habits. Cases were categorized as having initial, moderate, or severe periodontitis according to the percentage of sites with clinical attachment loss ≥