THE ROLE OF microRNA IN PERIODONTITIS AND HYPERTENSION

Periodontitis is a socially significant disease due to its potential to locally cause tooth loss and impaired function, and systemically, due to its influence on the onset and progression of various chronic diseases. Hypertension is socially significant because of its widespread prevalence and its potential to cause damage to various organs. MicroRNAs (miRNA) are involved in various immune and inflammatory response processes as post-transcriptional blockers that bind to mRNA and silence specific target genes. One of the mechanisms by which periodontitis may affect other systemic diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension, is believed to be due to changes in serum miRNA levels caused by periodontal infection. Such aberrant miRNA expression can impact signaling cascades related to immune mechanisms, potentially triggering chronic diseases involving inflammatory processes in their pathogenesis. Contemporary research focuses on identifying changes in miRNA expression associated with these pathologies, exploring their potential as next-generation biomarkers for early diagnosis, confirming shared signaling pathways between periodontal diseases and hypertension, and guiding the development of novel molecular therapeutic strategies. The significance of such scientific studies lies in their expected contribution to addressing public health challenges such as hypertension and periodontitis.