Hamoud Basel, Alfailakwi Meshari, Aljalahmah Hessah, Almael Fatema, Alsaeedi Sarah, Saleh Khaled, Ahmad Bushra, Alqaderi Hend
Ministry of Health, Kuwait City 15462, Kuwait.
Department of Public Health, School of Dental Medicine, Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2025 May 29;22(6):853. doi: 10.3390/ijerph22060853.
(1) Background: Benzene, environmental pollutant, is linked to various adverse health effects, but its impact on oral health remains under-explored. This study examines the association between blood benzene levels and periodontitis, a progressive oral inflammatory condition, using a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults. (2) Methods: Cross sectional data from the 2013-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were analyzed. Periodontitis was defined per CDC/AAP. Three weighted multivariable logistic regression models determined the association between blood benzene levels and periodontal severity, adjusting for potential confounders. A structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis evaluated cotinine, smoking biomarker, as a mediator in the relationship between benzene and severe periodontitis. (3) Results: The ordinal logistic regression showed a statistically significant association (AOR = 2.0, = 0.02) between blood benzene levels and periodontal severity. A one unit increase in blood benzene was associated twice the odds of progressing to a higher category of periodontitis. Benzene exposure was significantly linked to severe periodontitis (AOR = 2.9, = 0.001). SEM analysis indicated cotinine mediates the relationship between blood benzene and sever periodontitis. (4) Conclusions: This study provides evidence that higher blood benzene levels are associated with severe periodontitis. The findings suggest that cotinine, a biomarker of smoking, mediates the relationship between benzene exposure and severe periodontitis.
(1) 背景：苯作为一种环境污染物，与多种不良健康影响相关，但它对口腔健康的影响仍未得到充分研究。本研究使用具有全国代表性的美国成年人样本，考察血液中苯水平与牙周炎（一种进行性口腔炎症疾病）之间的关联。(2) 方法：分析了2013 - 2014年国家健康与营养检查调查（NHANES）的横断面数据。牙周炎根据疾病控制与预防中心/美国牙周病学会的标准定义。三个加权多变量逻辑回归模型确定了血液苯水平与牙周严重程度之间的关联，并对潜在混杂因素进行了调整。结构方程模型（SEM）分析评估了可替宁（吸烟生物标志物）在苯与重度牙周炎关系中的中介作用。(3) 结果：有序逻辑回归显示血液苯水平与牙周严重程度之间存在统计学显著关联（调整后比值比[AOR] = 2.0，P = 0.02）。血液中苯水平每增加一个单位，进展到更高一级牙周炎类别的几率增加一倍。苯暴露与重度牙周炎显著相关（AOR = 2.9，P = 0.001）。SEM分析表明可替宁介导了血液中苯与重度牙周炎之间的关系。(4) 结论：本研究提供了证据表明血液中较高的苯水平与重度牙周炎相关。研究结果表明，吸烟生物标志物可替宁介导了苯暴露与重度牙周炎之间的关系。
