Periodontal disease is influenced by various etiological factors which may be microbiological, environmental, host modulatory or genetic in nature. The fact that genome plays an important role in periodontitis is seen in form of varied host response by different individuals even in presence of similar microbiota and environmental influence. Micro-RNA is one of the recently discovered transcriptomes that influences various developmental processes ranging from cell development, differentiation, proliferation as well as death. It mainly acts on messenger RNA and influences the protein translation process. While there have been conclusive evidences of role of micro-RNA in disease processes such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, Alzheimer’s etc, study of its role in periodontitis is just beginning to evolve. This review highlights the role of micro-RNA in a chronic inflammatory pathology which is Periodontitis, its effect on the immune mechanisms, bone regulation and its defining role as biomarkers of disease process.
