Jin Shanmu, Zhao Ningrui, Wang Kaiming, Wang Xuedong, Wang Yu, Ma Wenbin
Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Malignant Brain Tumors, National Glioma MDT Alliance, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China.
Department of Orthodontics, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology & National Center of Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & National Engineering Laboratory for Digital and Material Technology of Stomatology & Beijing Key Laboratory of Digital Stomatology & Research Center of Engineering and Technology for Computerized Dentistry Ministry of Health & NMPA Key Laboratory for Dental Materials, Beijing, 100081, China.
Discov Oncol. 2025 May 19;16(1):812. doi: 10.1007/s12672-025-02669-y.
Gliomas, primary tumors of the central nervous system, and periodontitis, a chronic inflammatory disease impacting oral health, have both been subjects of extensive research due to their significant impact on patients' well-being. This study delves into the question of whether there is a causal relationship between glioma and periodontitis, mediated by systemic immunological changes.
This research draws from a wealth of publicly available genetic data, including genome-wide association studies for glioma, periodontitis, and immune cell traits. A comprehensive Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis is conducted, incorporating multiple MR methods and statistical tests to assess causality and account for possible biases.
The findings indicate that individuals genetically predisposed to glioma face an increased risk of developing periodontitis. Furthermore, CD8 upregulation on NKT cells was identified as a mediator in this causal pathway, providing a partial explanation for the observed connection. This discovery aligns with clinical observations of glioma patients exhibiting a higher prevalence of poor periodontal health.
This study advances our understanding of the complex interplay between glioma and systemic diseases like periodontitis. It underscores feasible implications for patient care and opens avenues for future research to explore the mechanistic underpinnings of this relationship.
胶质瘤是中枢神经系统的原发性肿瘤，牙周炎是一种影响口腔健康的慢性炎症性疾病，由于它们对患者健康有重大影响，二者都已成为广泛研究的对象。本研究深入探讨胶质瘤与牙周炎之间是否存在由全身免疫变化介导的因果关系。
本研究借鉴了大量公开可用的基因数据，包括胶质瘤、牙周炎和免疫细胞特征的全基因组关联研究。进行了全面的孟德尔随机化（MR）分析，采用多种MR方法和统计检验来评估因果关系并解释可能的偏差。
研究结果表明，具有胶质瘤遗传易感性的个体患牙周炎的风险增加。此外，NKT细胞上CD8的上调被确定为这一因果途径的介导因素，为观察到的联系提供了部分解释。这一发现与胶质瘤患者牙周健康状况较差的临床观察结果一致。
本研究增进了我们对胶质瘤与牙周炎等全身性疾病之间复杂相互作用的理解。它强调了对患者护理的可行影响，并为未来研究探索这种关系的机制基础开辟了途径。
