Antimicrobial peptide gene expression in periodontitis patients: A pilot study

Aim Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are one of the most active components of innate immunity and have characteristics that could place them at the heart of the pathogenesis of periodontal disease. This study investigated differences in the expression of AMP coding genes obtained using a simple harvesting technique, gingival smear, between two groups of patients: chronic periodontitis subjects versus healthy ones. Materials and Methods Twenty‐three patients were enrolled in two groups: 12 were diagnosed with moderate or severe generalized chronic periodontitis, and 11 were diagnosed as clinically healthy. Gingival smears were retrieved and studied using reverse transcription‐quantitative PCR (RT‐qPCR) after mRNA purification. Results Fifteen gene expressions were obtained using real‐time RT‐qPCR. Three AMP genes, histatin 3 (HTN3), α‐defensin 4 (DEFA4) and lysozyme C (LYZ), presented different expression levels in periodontitis patients compared with healthy subjects. The relative expression level of DEFA4 appeared to be a protective factor against periodontitis. Conclusion Gingival smears studied by RT‐qPCR may be used to assess the expression of AMPs coding genes. A lack of expression of DEFA4 could be a potential indicator of periodontitis status.