Etiology of aggressive periodontitis in individuals of African descent

Aggressive periodontitis (AgP) is a form of periodontitis that affects adolescents and has a significantly higher prevalence in individuals of African descent. AgP typically shows familial aggregation, suggesting a genetic predisposition. Young age, good health status, rapid attachment loss, and familial aggregation are the primary features of this disease. AgP has been closely linked to specific bacterial strains of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans. A. actinomycetemcomitans strains isolated from patients with AgP produce leukotoxin (LtxA), which specifically affects polymorphonuclear leukocytes in primates, especially humans. High-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing and bioinformatics analyses revealed differences in the subgingival microbiota between patients with AgP and those with chronic periodontitis (ChP). The genera Atopobium and Prevotella show increased prevalences in AgP than in ChP. According to AgP susceptibility, several single nucleotide polymorphisms have been detected in different genes in individuals of African descent. Interleukin (IL)-1a and IL-1(3 genetic polymorphisms may be associated with the severity of both ChP and AgP. An elevated serum level of IL-17 produced by Th17 cells may be a characteristic of AgP. Analyses of the relationships among bacteria, host defenses, genetic predisposition, and numerous other factors are required to understand the progression of this disease. (c) 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of The Japanese Association for Dental Science. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Automated summary

Aggressive periodontitis (AgP) is a form of periodontitis that primarily affects adolescents and has a higher prevalence in individuals of African descent. It shows familial aggregation and genetic predisposition. Specific bacterial strains, like A. actinomycetemcomitans, and increased prevalence of Atopobium and Prevotella genera are associated with AgP. Additionally, IL-1a and IL-1b genetic polymorphisms, as well as elevated levels of IL-17, may play a role in the severity of AgP.