Abstract
Aims:
The genetic aspect of degenerative joint disease (DJD) of the temporomandibular joint is poorly understood. The prevalence of the estrogen receptor alpha (ER-alpha) gene polymorphism in patients with and without DJD using xbal and pvull restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) was studied.
Methodology:
DNA samples from 42 DJD+ and 36 DJD− subjects were amplified. A 346-base pair long ER-alpha gene fragment containing the two sites of polymorphism in intron 1 was analyzed for xbal and pvull RFLP. Statistical analysis was carried out using Fisher’s exact test and two-group t-test.
Results:
Five different ER-alpha genotypes were found in both groups. These were PXPX, pxpx, pxPX, PxPX, and pxPx.
Discussion:
There was a higher number of pxpx and pxPX genotypes in the DJD+ samples compared to the DJD− group, which suggests the presence of polymorphism possibly modulates the ER-alpha activity in bone and contributes to the degenerative process in the joint.