Correlation Analysis of miR-1246 Expression in Saliva of Patients with Chronic Periodontitis and Periodontal Indexes, Inflammatory Cytokines, and Protease Molecules

OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to investigate the correlation of miR-1246 in saliva with periodontal indicators, inflammatory cytokines, and protease molecules in patients with chronic periodontitis. METHODS: Thirty-five patients with chronic periodontitis were included as the chronic periodontitis group, and 35 healthy individuals were selected as the healthy control group during the same period. The miR-1246 levels, inflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-17, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP-1), MMP-8, and MMP tissue inhibitor (TIMP-1) in saliva were determined, and periodontal indexes, including the plaque index (PLI), bleeding index (BI), periodontal probing depth (PD), and attachment loss (AL) were examined. RESULTS: The salivary levels of miR-1246, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-17, TNF-α, MMP-1, MMP-8, and TIMP-1 and the periodontal indexes PLI, GI, PD, and AL in the chronic periodontitis group were significantly higher than those in the healthy control (P < 0.05). Salivary levels of miR-1246 in patients with chronic periodontitis were positively correlated with the levels of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-17, TNF-α, MMP-1, MMP-8, TIMP-1, PLI, GI, PD, and AL (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Abnormally elevated levels of miR-1246 in saliva of patients with chronic periodontitis correlate with levels of periodontal indices, inflammatory cytokines, and protease molecules.