This study aimed to analyze the associations of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) with dental parameters while controlling for socio-demographics, health-related habits, and each of the diseases comprising metabolic syndrome (MetS), its consequences, and related conditions. We analyzed data from the dental, oral, and medical epidemiological (DOME) cross-sectional records-based study that combines comprehensive socio-demographic, medical, and dental databases of a nationally representative sample of military personnel for one year. Analysis included statistical and machine learning models. The study included 132,529 subjects; of these, 318 (0.2%) were diagnosed with OSA. The following parameters maintained a statistically significant positive association with OSA in the multivariate binary logistic regression analysis (descending order from highest to lowest OR): obesity (OR = 3.104 (2.178–4.422)), male sex (OR = 2.41 (1.25–4.63)), periodontal disease (OR = 2.01 (1.38–2.91)), smoking (OR = 1.45 (1.05–1.99)), and age (OR = 1.143 (1.119–1.168)). Features importance generated by the XGBoost machine learning algorithm were age, obesity, and male sex (located on places 1–3), which are well-known risk factors of OSA, as well as periodontal disease (fourth place) and delivered dental fillings (fifth place). The Area Under Curve (AUC) of the model was 0.868 and the accuracy was 0.92. Altogether, the findings supported the main hypothesis of the study, which was that OSA is linked to dental morbidity, in particular to periodontitis. The findings highlight the need for dental evaluation as part of the workup of OSA patients and emphasizes the need for dental and general medical authorities to collaborate by exchanging knowledge about dental and systemic morbidities and their associations. The study also highlights the necessity for a comprehensive holistic risk management strategy that takes systemic and dental diseases into account.
Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a self-perpetuating inflammatory liver disease with significant morbidity and mortality risks. Patients undergo liver biopsy to confirm diagnosis and affirm subsequent remission. Advances in liquid biopsies show promise to replace tissue biopsy in cancer, however little research has been done in liver disease. Here, we use plasma chromatin immunoprecipitation and sequencing (cfChIP-seq) to analyze cell-free nucleosomes carrying an active histone modification which reports on gene transcription in the dying cells. Comparing plasma samples from pediatric AIH patients to a control group we identify immune-related transcriptional processes activated in hepatocytes of AIH patients. We devise a classifier that based on cfChIP-seq profiles distinguishes AIH from other conditions involving increased liver damage. Our work demonstrates the potential of plasma cfChIP-seq as a non-invasive diagnostic tool for AIH, which could replace the need for liver biopsy, aid accurate diagnoses, and enable further scientific exploration of AIH pathogenesis.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.