Association of NAT2 341C/T Gene Polymorphism and Risk of Periodontitis in Smokers: A Case-control Study

Background: Periodontitis, an inflammatory disease, is caused by oral biofilm, and several risk factors propagate it. Smoking is a significant risk factor that increases the severity of the disease. Arylamine N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) enzyme present in the liver detoxify the smoke contents and renders it non-toxic to the tissues. The gene polymorphism of the NAT2 enzyme has been associated with various inflammatory diseases, including cancer. Objectives: The current study aimed to investigate the association between NAT2 gene polymorphism at loci 341C/T in smokers with periodontitis in the ethnic Tamil population of South India. Materials and Methods: The study had three groups, comprising smokers with healthy periodontium as the control group, smokers with periodontitis as the test group 1, and non-smokers with periodontitis as the test group 2. A total of 150 subjects were recruited, with 50 participants in each group. Periodontal parameters like clinical attachment loss (CAL), probing pocket depth (PPD), plaque index (PlI), and modified sulcus bleeding index (mSBI) were evaluated. Blood samples from the participants were collected and subjected to deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) extraction, polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assay to evaluate NAT2 gene polymorphism at the 341C/T site. Results: The distribution of heterozygous genotype CT was slightly higher in the periodontitis group comprising smokers (62%) compared to other study groups. However, it was not statistically significant. The test groups 1 and 2 demonstrated an odds ratio of around 1.78 and 1.6, respectively, for the heterozygous genotype. Conclusion: It can be concluded from the study that NAT2 gene polymorphism at the 341C/T site was not associated with periodontitis, irrespective of the smoking habit in the ethnic Tamil South Indian population.