174 - From Persistent Dental Plaque to Pathways: Early Oral Inflammation and Systemic Immune Risk in Children

Abstract: Purpose

The immunological consequences of dental plaque accumulation in children remain poorly understood. We hypothesize that persistent plaque accumulation promotes pro-inflammatory oral microbial communities and immunostimulatory mediators that drive gingival inflammation and reprogram immune molecular pathways associated with chronic systemic inflammatory diseases, thereby shaping early-life oral-systemic immune crosstalk.

Methods

A simplified periodontal examination, adapted from the British Society of Periodontology guidelines, was used to assess plaque index, probing depth, and bleeding on probing. This case-control study enrolled children aged 6-17 years, including individuals with gingival inflammation across a range of plaque indices (n=30) and periodontally healthy controls with low plaque accumulation (n=30). Supragingival and subgingival plaque, saliva, and buccal smear samples were collected. Plaque microbial composition were profiled by genome sequencing. Immune skewing toward innate or adaptive dominance were assessed using expression-based neutrophil-to-lymphocyte indices derived from RT-qPCR and immunoblotting. Acute and chronic inflammatory mediators, including IL-1β, TNF-α, Th17, interferon, and regulatory markers, were quantified by ELISA. Statistical and correlation analyses linked plaque index with microbial and immunological signatures.

Results

This project is ongoing. We anticipate plaque index-dependent correlations: higher plaque accumulation in children is expected to correlate with neutrophil-dominant immune skewing, Th17, interferon pathway activation, and reprogrammed inflammatory profiles, whereas lower plaque accumulation is expected to correlate with immune-regulatory and homeostatic signatures.

Conclusions

This study will define immune and microbial signatures associated with early plaque accumulation in children and provide mechanistic insight into how oral biofilms may predispose the developing immune system to chronic inflammatory disease pathways early in life.

Identify Supporting Agency and Grant Number: Research supported by 1R01DE033702-01 awarded to Dr. Fata Moradali.