Genetic and epigenetic components involved in the crossroads of periodontitis and common cancer types associated with periodontitis

Abstract Background Chronic inflammation is often associated with the risk of transformation of the oral epithelial cells. Although several reports have documented common risk factors related to periodontitis and cancer, such as smoking, alcoholism, viral infections, and oral hygiene, there is a lacuna observed in terms of the genetic components associated with the inflammatory process in periodontitis and cancer. The current study identified the crucial genetic and epigenetic components linked to periodontitis development and investigated the same in common cancer types such as head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, lung adenocarcinoma, and colon adenocarcinoma. Methods The GEOmnibus is the primary database, and the GSE10334 dataset was used to acquire information about the differentially expressed genes in the case of periodontitis. The top 25 differentially expressed genes were selected and subjected to computational analysis. The gene expression pattern observed between the normal and primary tumor tissues, along with the survival data based on the expression pattern, was documented. Further, the significant genetic markers, their microRNA targets, and their exosomal location were examined. Results The differentially expressed genes with statistical significance in both expression pattern and survival were delineated from each of the three cancer types. The gene MAGI1 was downregulated in HNSCC and LUAC groups, exhibiting a low survival rate in patients of both groups. RORA and PLXDC2 exhibited a similar pattern to MAGI1, but with significant differences in the lung cancer group alone. Conclusions The present study identified common genes and their microRNA targets, which could be associated with the malignant transformation of target cells. Further validation of the experimental design employing in vitro and in vivo methods could aid in delineating the genetic components associated with chronic inflammatory diseases that could eventually trigger the process of carcinogenesis.