Insights into Medication-Induced Osteonecrosis of the Jaw Through the Application of Salivary Proteomics and Bioinformatics

Long-term treatment with bisphosphonates is accompanied by an increased risk of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ). Currently, no clinically useful biomarkers for the predictive diagnosis of MRONJ are available. To investigate the potential key proteins involved in the pathogenesis of MRONJ, a proteomic LC-MS/MS analysis of saliva was performed. Differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were analyzed using BiNGO, ClueGO, cytoHubba, MCODE, KEGG, and ReactomeFI software packages using Cytoscape platforms. In total, 1545 DEPs were identified, including 43 up- and 11 down-regulated with a 1.5-fold cut-off value and <i>adj</i>. <i>p</i>-value < 0.05. The analysis provided a panel of hub genes, including <i>APOA2</i>, <i>APOB</i>, <i>APOC2</i>, <i>APOC3</i>, <i>APOE</i>, <i>APOM</i>, <i>C4B</i>, <i>C4BPA</i>, <i>C9</i>, <i>FGG</i>, <i>GC</i>, <i>HP</i>, <i>HRG</i>, <i>LPA</i>, <i>SAA2-SAA4</i>, and <i>SERPIND1</i>. The most prevalent terms in GO of the biological process were macromolecular complex remodeling, protein-lipid complex remodeling, and plasma lipoprotein particle remodeling. DEPs were mainly involved in signaling pathways associated with lipoproteins, the innate immune system, complement, and coagulation cascades. The current investigation advanced our knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying MRONJ. In particular, the research identified the principal salivary proteins that are implicated in the onset and progression of this condition.