Association between total body bone mineral density and periodontitis: a Mendelian randomization study.

<bold>Background: </bold>The purpose of the study was to examine the association between total body bone mineral density (BMD) and periodontitis using Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.<bold>Methods and Materials: </bold>We used 81 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with BMD at a P-value < 5 × 10-8 from a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 66,628 individuals of European descent. The GWAS for periodontitis was derived from a meta-analysis of 7 cohort studies that included 17,353 cases and 28,210 controls of European ancestry.<bold>Results: </bold>MR showed no association between BMD and periodontitis (odds ratio (OR) per standard deviation increment in genetically predicted BMD = 1.00 (95% confidence interval: 0.92- 1.08). Leave-one-out analyses and pleiotropy-robust methods did not indicate any bias.<bold>Conclusions: </bold>The MR study provided no evidence that BMD might be causally linked to periodontitis. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]