Associação entre fusão radicular de molares mandibulares com polimorfismo em genes que codificam fatores de crescimento

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the association between root fusion in mandibular molars and polymorphisms in genes encoding TGF β1 and the TGF β receptor 2 (TGF βR2). Methodology: This was a cross sectional study. A total of 182 panoramic radiographs from patients were used to identify root fusion in mandibular molars, defining the case group (at least one mandibular molar with fused roots) and the control group (all permanent molars with separated roots). Saliva samples were collected for DNA extraction and real time genotyping of the SNPs rs1800470 and rs4803455 in TGFB1 and rs764522 and rs3087465 in TGFBR2. Results: Seventy three patients (40.1%) presented at least one mandibular molar with fused roots and 109 were controls. Genotype distributions between cases and controls were compared using the chi square test. The rs4803455 SNP in TGFB1 emerged as the most relevant marker, with a higher frequency of the CC genotype in the control group and a higher proportion of A allele carriers (AC + AA) among cases, suggesting a lower probability of root fusion in mandibular molars for individuals with the CC genotype (OR ≈ 0.46; 95% CI: 0.21–1.01; p = 0.047). No significant associations were observed for rs1800470 in TGFB1 or for rs764522 and rs3087465 in TGFBR2. Conclusion: The rs4803455 polymorphism in TGFB1 may be associated with root fusion in mandibular molars, suggesting a possible protective effect of the CC genotype and involvement of the TGF β pathway in determining root morphology.