Peri-implantitis (PI) is a chronic disorder characterized by an intensive inflammatory process after implant placement. The number of cases is rapidly growing as implant materials and tools become more affordable and people's awareness about the benefits of the implantation procedure increases.
Peri-implantitis is complicated to manage and has a high recurrence rate. Also, all existing treatments are similar to those used for periodontitis (which share some clinical similarities) because PI's pathogenesis has long remained unknown.
However, Korean scientists recently found specific physiological causes of peri-implantitis that shed light on the disease's nature and its differences from periodontitis, which may help enhance modern treatment methodologies.
What did scientists find?
Researchers collected gingival tissue from two groups of people with periodontitis and PI to distinguish their pathogenesis. Then, scientists sequenced their genetic data and analyzed RNA molecules – compounds that contain particular instructions for the cells to develop specific proteins. Analysis shows that three genes were overexpressed in participants with peri-implantitis – ACTA2, FAP, and PDGFRβ.
Additionally, scientists found a connection between PI and activated fibroblasts – cells that contribute to connective tissue formation.
Why it's important?
Discovered biomarkers can significantly improve peri-implantitis diagnosis and, additionally, form the basis for specific PI treatments that consider new insights regarding the fibroblast's role in the disease.
Lead researcher – Professor Yun Hak Kim – hopes that "Over the next 5–10 years, this study's findings could serve as a fundamental basis for the development of highly specialized, targeted therapies addressing peri-implantitis, specifically focusing on its unique biological and immunological characteristics compared to periodontitis."
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