Scientists from the University of North Carolina (USA) have made an important discovery: the male immune system responds to oral diseasesmuch aggressive than the female one.This difference increases inflammation, accelerates bone destruction and leads to severe periodontitis. It turned out that this is not only about hygiene and habits, as was previously thought. The problem is influenced by biology, namely the nature of the work of a certain inflammatory pathway. The results of the study were published in the journal PNAS.

Role of immune protein

The focus was on interleukin-1 beta. This protein helps the body raise the alarm during infection, but in chronic inflammation it sets off a chain of reactions that gradually destroys the tissue that holds teeth in place. Interleukins can be thought of as “signaling cells” of the immune system. They tell the cells to attack the threat.But if the signal becomes too strong, the body itself damages healthy structures.Scientists have discovered exactly this mechanism in men.

Large-scale analysis and accurate data

The researchers examined data from three large projects that collected blood and crevicular fluid samples from6200Human. This made it possible to evaluate the activity of IL-1β in different age groups and compare the indicators in men and women.
It turned out thatIn men, the level of inflammatory protein is significantly higher even in the early stages of the disease.This explains why they are likely to experience gum and bone loss. The infection, invisible at first glance, gradually destroys the support of the tooth.

“Our groundbreaking work not only pinpoints the inflammasome as a cause of periodontal disease in men, but also provides a clear path toward developing gender-specific periodontal treatments,” said study leader Julie Marchesan.

How the hypothesis was tested

To make sure that the differences were not just related to lifestyle, the scientists conducted a series of experiments on mice. In males, the activation of IL-1β was much stronger, which completely coincided with the results in humans.When the gene that triggers the inflammasome was deleted in mice, bone destruction slowed.
The researchers then temporarily blocked caspase-1/4, an enzyme that activates interleukin. This led to a decrease in inflammation. However, the effect was observed only in males. After the testicles were removed, the body’s reaction changed and the drug stopped working.
In females, no similar dependence was found either with or without the ovaries removed. This suggests that male hormones directly influence the severity of inflammation.

Implications for dentistry

Today, dentists are often faced with a situation where in men the disease progresses much faster with the same hygiene. New evidence explains this phenomenon and shows that treatment approaches need to be different. In the future, dentists will be able to prescribe drugs that regulate the functioning of the inflammasome, reducing tissue destruction in the early stages.

The problem is huge. According to the CDC, periodontitis affects about forty percent of adult men, and men are at much higher risk.

“Our findings will facilitate the development of treatments that target the inflammasome and may specifically benefit male patients, as well as pave the way for the discovery of the biological mechanisms responsible for periodontitis in women,” Marchesan said.

Now scientists have to find out how exactly the female body compensates for the lack of hyperactive IL-1β and what protective mechanisms help women lose less teeth with age.