{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T10:12:31Z","timestamp":1787047951073,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":14,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,15]],"date-time":"2025-08-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1755216000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100004564","name":"Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["451-03-9\/2021-14\/200129"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["451-03-9\/2021-14\/200129"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100004564","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Oral Health"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study explores post-viral immune modulation in periodontal health using COVID-19 convalescence as a model. We hypothesized that post-COVID-19 recovery induces epigenetic alterations, measurable through salivary methyl-transferase-like 3 (METTL3) expression and clinical-periodontal parameters. The present research comprises results from two studies: the clinical study, which included a total of 83 systemically healthy adults stratified into four groups according to periodontal status and COVID-19 history, and the laboratory study on human parotid gland samples (<jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\u2009=\u200910). Full-mouth periodontal status and unstimulated morning saliva were obtained. Glandular METTL3 and fat mass and obesity-associated factor as well as salivary METTL3 and cortisol were quantified using ELISA; psychological stress was assessed with the Perceived Stress Scale \u221210. Effect sizes were assessed using ANOVA and multivariable linear regression, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated for METTL3. Decreased levels of METTL3 in parotid tissue and in saliva of COVID-19 convalescents were found. Prior COVID-19 was significantly associated with METTL3 and plaque index (PI) as predictors, when adjusted for age, gender, periodontitis, and salivary cortisol. Strong associations between METTL3 and PI were found. Stress scores and cortisol did not differ between groups. Thus, downregulation of salivary METTL3 and concomitant plaque index reduction characterize the late convalescent phase of COVID-19. These epigenetic changes may reflect post-viral changes in parotid gland and periodontal health homeostasis and warrant longitudinal research confirmation.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/froh.2025.1654029","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,15]],"date-time":"2025-08-15T05:28:07Z","timestamp":1755235687000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Post-viral alterations in periodontal health in individuals recovering from COVID-19"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"6","author":[{"given":"Jelena","family":"Roganovi\u0107","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Milena","family":"Bara\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Biljana","family":"Mili\u010di\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Milan","family":"Petrovi\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Stefan","family":"Sredojevi\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ana \u0110ini\u0107","family":"Krasav\u010devi\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nata\u0161a","family":"Nikoli\u0107-Jakoba","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"972","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jds.2023.03.012","article-title":"The role of microbiome in the pathogenesis of oral-gut-liver axis between periodontitis and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease","volume":"18","author":"Chen","year":"2023","journal-title":"J Dent Sci"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"190","DOI":"10.1111\/prd.12435","article-title":"Viruses, periodontitis, and comorbidities","volume":"89","author":"Teles","year":"2022","journal-title":"Periodontol 2000"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"35","DOI":"10.1002\/JPER.20-0623","article-title":"microRNA-146a and -155, upregulated by periodontitis and type 2 diabetes in oral fluids, are predicted to regulate SARS-CoV-2 oral receptor genes","volume":"92","author":"Roganovi\u0107","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Periodontol"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e01067-21","DOI":"10.1128\/mbio.01067-21","article-title":"Methyltransferase-like 3 modulates severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 RNA N6-methyladenosine modification and replication","volume":"12","author":"Zhang","year":"2021","journal-title":"mBio"},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3634","DOI":"10.1111\/jcmm.16469","article-title":"M6a regulator-mediated RNA methylation modification patterns are involved in immune microenvironment regulation of periodontitis","volume":"25","author":"Zhang","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Cell Mol Med"},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"S159","DOI":"10.1002\/JPER.18-0006","article-title":"Staging and grading of periodontitis: framework and proposal of a new classification and case definition","volume":"89","author":"Tonetti","year":"2018","journal-title":"J Periodontol"},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"5","DOI":"10.2298\/PSI1501005J","article-title":"More than a (negative) feeling: validity of the perceived stress scale in Serbian clinical and non-clinical samples","volume":"48","author":"Jovanovi\u0107","year":"2015","journal-title":"Psihologija"},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"958480","DOI":"10.3389\/froh.2022.958480","article-title":"Antimicrobial peptides: defending the mucosal epithelial barrier","volume":"3","author":"Johnstone","year":"2022","journal-title":"Front Oral Health"},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2197779","DOI":"10.1080\/20002297.2023.2197779","article-title":"Current concepts in the pathogenesis of periodontitis: from symbiosis to dysbiosis","author":"Abdulkareem","year":"2023","journal-title":"J Oral Microbiol"},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"422","DOI":"10.1186\/s12903-022-02463-0","article-title":"The impact of COVID-19 on individual oral health: a scoping review","volume":"22","author":"Dickson-Swift","year":"2022","journal-title":"BMC Oral Health"},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"746","DOI":"10.3390\/life15050746","article-title":"Oral health and dietary habits before and after COVID-19 restrictions in a Portuguese adult population: an observational study","volume":"15","author":"Guerreiro","year":"2025","journal-title":"Life"},{"key":"B12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1897","DOI":"10.3390\/covid4120133","article-title":"The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the oral hygiene Status of children with high caries risk and their parents","volume":"4","author":"Hatipo\u011flu Palaz","year":"2024","journal-title":"COVID"},{"key":"B13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"104393","DOI":"10.1016\/j.psj.2024.104393","article-title":"RNA m6A-mediated post-transcriptional repression of glucocorticoid receptor in LPS-activated Kupffer cells on broilers","volume":"104","author":"Zhao","year":"2025","journal-title":"Poult Sci"},{"key":"B14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1401997","DOI":"10.3389\/fmicb.2024.1401997","article-title":"RNA N6-methyladenosine methylation in influenza A virus infection","volume":"15","author":"Liu","year":"2024","journal-title":"Front Microbiol"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Oral Health"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/froh.2025.1654029\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,1]],"date-time":"2025-09-01T13:39:58Z","timestamp":1756733998000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/froh.2025.1654029\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,15]]},"references-count":14,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/froh.2025.1654029"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/froh.2025.1654029","relation":{},"ISSN":["2673-4842"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2673-4842","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,15]]},"article-number":"1654029"}}