Association of MTHFR polymorphism and periodontitis' severity in Indonesian males

Periodontitis is an oral disease with a complex etiology and pathogenesis, but with a suspected contribution by genetic factors. This study aimed to assess the association of polymorphism in MTHFR (methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase, C677T) gene and the severity of periodontitis in Indonesian males. Severity of periodontitis was classified as mild, moderate or severe for 100 consenting, 25 to 60 years old male Indonesians. Using PCR amplification for DNA extracted from blood serum samples, the variation at the SNP polymorphism of the MTHFR (C677T) gene was evaluated by using RFLP, cutting by the restriction enzyme HinfI and subjecting the fragments to electrophoresis on agarose gel. Chi-square testing was mainly used for statistical assessment of the results. The CC genotype (wild type) of the tested polymorphism was the most common variant (78%) and TT (mutant) genotype relatively rare (2%), so that C-allele appeared in 88% of the cases and T-allele in 12% of the cases. The results suggest that there is no significant association between MTHFR C677T polymorphism and the severity of periodontitis in the tested Indonesian males.