Steffens Joao Paulo, Masi Stefano, D'Aiuto Francesco, Spolidorio Luis Carlos
Department of Physiology and Pathology, São Paulo State University, School of Dentistry at Araraquara, Araraquara, SP, Brazil.
Vascular Physiology Unit, Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK.
Arch Oral Biol. 2013 Feb;58(2):111-7. doi: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2012.09.009. Epub 2012 Nov 30.
The ageing process is accompanied by a variety of cellular modifications, and telomere shortening is a common finding. Large epidemiological studies have reported an association between shorter telomere length in peripheral leukocytes and several inflammatory diseases of the elderly including diabetes, atherosclerosis and, recently, periodontitis. The primary aim of this study was to critically discuss available evidence regarding the potential mechanisms relating shorter telomeres to periodontitis.
A narrative literature review was performed to report evidence relating shorter telomeres to the ageing process and inflammation. Then, we searched MEDLINE (1950 to May 2012) and ISI WEB OF SCIENCE (1950 to May 2012) databases for the combination of the terms 'telomere' and 'periodontitis'.
Although these associations suggest a possible role of telomere attrition in the onset or evolution of chronic inflammatory diseases, only two studies addressed the relationship between telomere length and periodontitis.
We suggest that the chronic inflammatory burden observed in people with chronic periodontitis could represent the driver of telomere shortening. However, further evidence is needed to confirm whether inflammation is the cause or the consequence of the shorter leukocyte telomere length observed in people with periodontitis.
衰老过程伴随着多种细胞变化，端粒缩短是常见现象。大型流行病学研究报告称，外周血白细胞中端粒长度较短与老年人的多种炎症性疾病有关，包括糖尿病、动脉粥样硬化，以及最近发现的牙周炎。本研究的主要目的是批判性地讨论有关端粒缩短与牙周炎潜在机制的现有证据。
进行叙述性文献综述，以报告端粒缩短与衰老过程及炎症相关的证据。然后，我们在MEDLINE（1950年至2012年5月）和ISI科学网（1950年至2012年5月）数据库中搜索“端粒”和“牙周炎”这两个术语的组合。
尽管这些关联表明端粒损耗在慢性炎症性疾病的发生或发展中可能起作用，但仅有两项研究探讨了端粒长度与牙周炎之间的关系。
我们认为，在慢性牙周炎患者中观察到的慢性炎症负担可能是端粒缩短的驱动因素。然而，需要进一步的证据来证实炎症是牙周炎患者白细胞端粒长度较短的原因还是结果。
