Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma Polymorphism and Periodontitis in Pregnant Japanese Women

Background: Recent studies suggest an association between maternal periodontitis and preterm birth, although the association remains controversial. It was suggested that mechanisms such as a genetic predisposition for a hyperinflammatory response cause periodontitis and preterm births. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) is a nuclear hormone receptor and ligand-dependent transcription factor. PPARγ inhibits the transcriptional activity of the genes that produce proinflammatory mediators and repress periodontitis. Recently, a common polymorphism, proline(PRO)-to-alanine(ALA) mutation at codon12 in exonB (Pro12Ala: rs 1801282) PPARγ, was reported to reduce the ability to transactivate responsive promoters. In this study, we tested whether the PPARγPro12Ala polymorphism was associated with maternal periodontitis and/or preterm birth.Methods: Genomic DNA was isolated from the venous blood of pregnant Japanese women (term birth: n = 72; preterm birth: n = 58). The PPARγPro12Ala genotype wa...