Salivary proteomic profile of obese women, diagnosed or not with gingivitis during the 3rd trimester of pregnancy: assessment of biological mechanisms by Tandem Mass Spectrometry (nLC-ESI-MS/MS)

• Grant number: 24/00107-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): March 01, 2024
• Effective date (End): February 28, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Dentistry - Pediatric Dentistry
• Principal Investigator: Gerson Aparecido Foratori Junior
• Grantee: Laura Teodoro de Marchi
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Odontologia de Bauru (FOB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Bauru , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Maternal obesity is a factor that can increase the prevalence and severity of gingivitis, acting synergistically with pregnancy to worsen the oral condition, since not only the high levels of estrogen and progesterone resulting from pregnancy, but also inflammatory mediators secreted by women's adipose tissue makes them more susceptible to inflammation in periodontal tissues. In order to identify the pathophysiological mechanisms of gingivitis during pregnancy in women with obesity, this project aims to evaluate the salivary proteomic profile by Tandem Mass Spectrometry (nLC-ESI-MS/MS) of pregnant women with obesity, diagnosed or not with gingivitis. Sample will be recruited, consecutively, from the Primary health care of Bauru-SP, more specifically from Casa da Mulher, and pregnant women with obesity (BMI e 30 kg/m2) will be divided into 2 groups: with an excessive prevalence of gingival bleeding on probing (BOP > 50%; G1 = 10); and without gingivitis (BOP < 10%; G2 = 10). Participants will be matched by age and socioeconomic status. Grouping method will be based on the full-mouth periodontal examination and the most current classification of gingivitis will be adopted. Unstimulated saliva samples will be collected. For proteomics, saliva samples will be evaluated individually and processed by Mass Spectrometry (Nano Liquid Chromatography Electron Spray Ionization Tandem Mass Spectrometry - nLC-ESI-MS/MS). The difference in expression between groups will be expressed as p < 0.05 for downregulated proteins, and 1-p > 0.95 for upregulated proteins. Protein categories will be based on Gene Ontology (GO) for biological process, molecular function, immune system, and cellular component, using ClueGo® plugins from Cytoscape® 3.8.2 software. For quantitative covariates, normality will first be tested using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Comparison between groups for quantitative covariates with normal distribution will be performed using the t test; for quantitative covariates without normal distribution and for ordinal qualitative covariates, the Mann-Whitney test will be performed; and for nominal qualitative covariates it will be handled using the Chi-square test (P < 0.05). The relevance of this work is based on the innovative aspect, considering both the analysis methods and the potential to ensure greater understanding of the outcomes for the adoption of preventive strategies in dental prenatal care.