The Expression of MiR-34a in Gingival Crevicular Fluid of Chronic Periodontitis and Its Connection with the TLR/NF-B Signaling Pathway

Objective: This study analyzed the expression of miR-34a in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) of patients with chronic periodontitis and its connection with the Toll-like receptor (TLR)/nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-B) signaling pathway.

Methods: We collected the GCF of the two groups of subjects, using RT-PCR to detect the expression of miR-34a and NF-B p65 mRNA and TLR4 mRNA and ELISA to detect the inflammatory factor degree in GCF, and performed periodontal examinations on both groups.

Results: The gingival index, bleeding index, probe depth, and attachment loss indexes of periodontal examination in the observation group were remarkably superior to those in the control group ( < 0.05). The levels of IL-1, IL-6, and TNF- in the GCF of the observation group were higher than those of the control group ( < 0.05). The mRNA relative expression levels of miR-34a, NF-B p65, and TLR4 in the GCF of the observation group were dramatically higher than those of the control group ( < 0.05). Correlation analysis showed that miR-34a was highly expressed in patients with chronic periodontitis.

Conclusion: There is an abnormally high expression of miR-34a in GCF of chronic periodontitis. Its expression is associated with the degree of periodontal inflammation, periodontal tissue damage, and the activation of the TLR/NF-B signaling pathway and could be used as a potential index for auxiliary diagnosis and severity of the disease.