People with mutations in hair keratin genes are prone to cavities, a new study has found.
Maria Morasso and colleagues at the US National Institutes of Health found that tooth enamel from individuals with keratin mutations had abnormal structure that resulted in weakness.
Researchers said the results show a link between hair disorders and cavity formation, according to 'medicalxpress.Com'.
In the study, researchers found that epithelial hair keratins, which are crucial for maintaining the integrity of the sheaths that support the hair shaft, are expressed in the enamel organ and are essential organic components of mature enamel.
Researchers studied 386 children and 706 adults, and found that individuals who had known hair disorder-associated polymorphisms in the gene encoding keratin 75 (KRT75) are prone to increased dental caries.
Analysis of teeth from individuals carrying one of the variants showed an altered enamel structure and a marked reduction of enamel hardness, suggesting that a functional keratin network is required for the mechanical stability of tooth enamel.
"Taken together, our results identify a genetic locus that influences enamel structure and establish a connection between hair disorders and susceptibility to dental caries," researchers said.
The study is published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
