Association between atrial fibrillation and periodontal disease: A bioinformatics analysis

Introduction

Atrial fibrillation (AF), which is an aging disease, and periodontal disease (PD) are prevalent, and AF and PD may be associated with each other. Inflammation plays a role in the two pathologies. However, there is a need for a deeper understanding of the mechanisms associated with these conditions.

Methods

A bioinformatics analysis was performed to compare gene expression profiles in the blood and left atrial tissue samples of patients with AF and in the blood samples of patients with PD. Our analysis involved comparing gene expression profiles between patients with AF, those with sinus rhythm, and individuals with and without PD. This comparative approach enabled us to identify upregulated genes in both the AF and PD cohorts.

Results

The expression of 40 genes was upregulated in patients with AF and PD, with a significant enrichment for genes associated with inflammation. Notably, a network analysis revealed distinct functional associations among these genes. Interestingly, the expressions of three lysosome-related genes in all analyzed tissues (AF blood, PD blood, and AF left atrium) were upregulated.

Conclusion

Inflammation played a role in AF and PD. Further, based on the upregulated expression of lysosome-related genes across all samples that were evaluated, in addition to inflammation, lysosomal function had a possible role in the co-existence of the two diseases.