Host Immunogenetic Profile Modulates Susceptibility to Apical Periodontitis in a Colombian Population

Apical periodontitis (AP) is a chronic immunoinflammatory disease influenced by complex interactions between microbial factors and host immune response. Although genetic susceptibility has been implicated in AP, evidence is limited, particularly in admixed populations. This exploratory study aimed to assess whether functional polymorphisms in <i>MMP1</i> (rs1799750), <i>IL10</i> (rs1800872), and <i>IL17A</i> (rs7747909) are associated with susceptibility to radiographically defined AP in a Colombian population. A case-control design was employed, including individuals with radiographic evidence of AP and controls without periapical lesions. Genotyping was performed using TaqMan^® assay. The association between single-nucleotide polymorphisms and AP was evaluated using a dominant inheritance model. Effect sizes were estimated as odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and <i>p</i>-values were adjusted using the Benjamini-Hochberg false discovery rate (FDR) procedure. The <i>MMP1</i> rs1799750 polymorphism was associated with increased susceptibility to AP (OR = 3.47, 95% CI = 1.40-8.58; FDR = 0.013). Similarly, the <i>IL10</i> rs1800872 variant was significantly associated with AP risk (OR = 3.00, 95% CI = 1.52-5.91; FDR = 0.007). The strongest association was observed for <i>IL17A</i> rs7747909 (OR = 8.95, 95% CI = 3.61-22.15; FDR < 0.001). This exploratory candidate-gene study provides preliminary evidence suggesting that genetic variations in <i>MMP1</i>, <i>IL10</i>, and <i>IL17A</i> may contribute to susceptibility to AP in the Colombian population. Given the exploratory design, modest sample size, and absence of ancestry adjustment or functional validation, these findings should be interpreted cautiously and confirmed in larger ancestry-informed cohorts integrating host genetic and microbial data.