A Cross-Sectional Study of Bitter-Taste Receptor Genotypes, Oral Health, and Markers of Oral Inflammation

Abstract

(1) Background: The aetiology of oral disease is multifactorial, involving genetic and environmental factors, including dietary ones. Bitter taste genetics may be related to oral health through dietary modulation or non-gustatory roles, including modulation of inflammation. Investigations of bitter taste and oral health associations to date have been restricted to specific polymorphisms, limited outcomes (caries), and age-groups (children), and links to inflammation remain to be elucidated. (2) Methods: A cross-sectional study (n = 65) investigated the correlations between bitter taste genotypes, oral health outcomes, and oral inflammation markers. Oral examinations were conducted, including saliva testing with evaluation of flow rate, pH, and buffering and antioxidant capacity (FRAP) and IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6 levels. DNA was collected via buccal swabs and used to evaluate the presence of multiple bitter-taste receptor gene polymorphisms. (3) Results: The major allele for TAS2R4-rs2233998, TAS2R5-rs2227264, TAS2R50-rs1376251, and TAS2R9-rs3741845 was associated with a higher mean of unstimulated salivary flow rate, FRAP, TNF-α, IL-1β, and likelihood of filled teeth. Presence of the major allele for TAS2R4-rs2234001 and TAS2R9-rs3741845 was associated with lower means FRAP, TNF-α, IL-1β, DMFT index, and likelihood of missing teeth. (4) Conclusions: These findings suggest relationships between bitter-taste genotypes, oral health outcomes, and inflammatory markers. These findings justify the need for further studies that could help identify risk groups and develop novel agents for maintaining oral health.

Genetic variants in taste genes play a role in oral microbial composition and severe early childhood caries

“…Many studies have reported a link between taste receptor gene polymorphisms and dental caries risk. 5 , 6 , 22 , 38 , 39 However, the majority of these studies focused only on TAS2R38 and/or TAS1R2/3 . In this study, genes involved in basic taste modalities, carbonation, and candidate fat receptors were assessed.…”

“… 5 , 6 Here, no significant associations between TAS2R38 and dental caries in children were identified, which supports the findings from a recent cross-sectional study ( N = 65). 39 However, a negative correlation between TAS2R38 rs1726866 and Candida albicans (Adj. p = 0.026) was observed.…”

“…This agrees with a previous study which showed that TAS2R4 -rs2234001 G allele was associated with lower caries experience in adults. 39 T2R4 is a well-characterized member of the T2R family. It is widely distributed in oral tissues and is expressed in immune cells (Gopallawa et al., 2020; Xi et al., 2022).…”

Assessing the association between tea intake and risk of dental caries and periodontitis: a two-sample Mendelian randomization study

“…Periodontitis is also associated with an increasing cancer mortality 14 . Diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and some other chronic diseases are also closely related to periodontitis 15 . As for the aetiology of the oral diseases, various aspects are involved.…”

Dental caries management by risk assessment among children

“…Dental caries have hereditary characteristics and genetic associations. Early studies have shown that: The presence of the major allele for TAS2R4-rs2234001 and TAS2R9-rs3741845 was associated with lower means, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin one beta (IL-1β), carious, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) index, and have 5 times more carious, missing, and filled teeth [DMFT/DMFS (carious, missing, and filled surfaces)] than those with other variations of this gene and the likelihood of missing teeth [17], [18]. Based on the risk assessment results, individual prevention programs are prepared for each patient.…”