AimPeriodontitis is one of the most common oral diseases and a major cause of tooth loss in adults. Environmental pollution is closely associated with the prevalence of periodontitis. However, few studies have focused on the association between volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and periodontitis. This cross‐sectional study aims to examine whether exposure to VOCs is associated with periodontitis, based on data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES, 2011–2014).Materials and MethodsWe analysed data on blood VOC levels, periodontitis and related covariates from 2772 participants of the NHANES. The association between the blood VOCs and periodontitis was analysed using weighted logistic regression analysis, the restricted cubic spline (RCS) model and the weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression model. Interaction tests and mediation analysis were also conducted.ResultsAfter adjusting for covariates, for each natural constant‐fold increase in 1,4‐dichlorobenzene, the odds of having periodontitis increased by 16% (odds ratio = 1.16; 95% confidence interval: 1.08–1.24, p < .001). WQS regression model indicated that 1,4‐dichlorobenzene contributed the most to the association between VOC co‐exposure and periodontitis. Mediation analysis further revealed that total bilirubin levels mediated the association between 1,4‐dichlorobenzene and the prevalence of periodontitis, accounting for 4.32%. In addition, the positive association between o‐xylene and periodontitis was more pronounced in the <65‐year‐old group.ConclusionsThis study has provided relatively little evidence to demonstrate a specific link between VOCs and periodontitis. Nonetheless, exposure to VOCs remains a non‐negligible public health concern, and further research is required to investigate the association and potential mechanisms of action between VOCs and periodontitis.

中文翻译：

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挥发性有机化合物暴露与牙周炎之间的关联：一项具有代表性的横断面研究


目的牙周炎是最常见的口腔疾病之一，也是成人牙齿脱落的主要原因。环境污染与牙周炎的患病率密切相关。然而，很少有研究关注挥发性有机化合物 （VOCs） 与牙周炎之间的关联。这项横断面研究旨在根据全国健康和营养检查调查 （NHANES， 2011-2014） 的数据检查暴露 VOC 是否与牙周炎有关。材料和方法我们分析了 NHANES 的 2772 名参与者的血液 VOC 水平、牙周炎和相关协变量的数据。使用加权 logistic 回归分析、限制三次样条函数 （RCS） 模型和加权分位数和 （WQS） 回归模型分析血液 VOCs 与牙周炎之间的关联。还进行了交互测试和中介分析。结果在调整协变量后，1,4-二氯苯每自然常数倍增加，患牙周炎的几率增加 16%（比值比 = 1.16;95% 置信区间：1.08-1.24，p < .001）。WQS 回归模型表明，1,4-二氯苯对 VOC 共暴露与牙周炎之间的关联贡献最大。介导分析进一步揭示，总胆红素水平介导 1,4-二氯苯与牙周炎患病率之间的关联，占 4.32%。此外，邻二甲苯与牙周炎之间的正相关在 <65 岁组中更为明显。结论这项研究提供的证据相对较少，无法证明 VOCs 与牙周炎之间存在特定联系。 尽管如此，暴露于 VOCs 仍然是一个不可忽视的公共卫生问题，需要进一步研究来调查 VOCs 与牙周炎之间的关联和潜在作用机制。