Resumo Introdução: a genética tem sido proposta como uma explicação para a ocorrência das más oclusões, mas isso é questionável, pois a percepção do significado de herança genética está vinculada à herança mendeliana ou monogênica. Objetivo: o presente artigo visa discorrer sobre a herança das más oclusões e ressaltar as áreas do conhecimento nas quais a pesquisa tem explorado mecanismos que explicam a ocorrência de desvios do padrão de crescimento facial. Conclusão: as más oclusões têm um padrão de herança complexo ou multifatorial, no qual mais de um gene está envolvido no desenvolvimento do fenótipo. Isso quer dizer que existe, também, uma potencial influência do ambiente nas más oclusões.

Abstract Introduction: Genetics has been suggested as an explanation for the etiology of malocclusions, although some questions, due to the perception that genetic inheritance is tied to a monogenic or Mendelian form of inheritance. Objective: This paper describes the inheritance of malocclusions, highlighting the areas of knowledge where research has explored mechanisms that explain deviations in patterns of craniofacial growth. Conclusion: Malocclusions have a complex or multifactorial pattern of inheritance, where more than one gene is involved in the development of the phenotype. There is also the possibility that the environment influences malocclusions.

Abstract Objectives To evaluate the association between hypoxia during embryo development and oral clefts in an animal model, and to evaluate the association between polymorphisms in the HIF-1A gene with oral clefts in human families. Material and Methods The study with the animal model used zebrafish embryos at 8 hours post-fertilization submitted to 30% and 50% hypoxia for 24 hours. At 5 days post-fertilization, the larvae were fixed. The cartilage structures were stained to evaluate craniofacial phenotypes. The family-based association study included 148 Brazilian nuclear families with oral clefts. The association between the genetic polymorphisms rs2301113 and rs2057482 in HIF-1A with oral clefts was tested. We used real time PCR genotyping approach. ANOVA with Tukey's post-test was used to compare means. The transmission/disequilibrium test was used to analyze the distortion of the inheritance of alleles from parents to their affected offspring. Results For the hypoxic animal model, the anterior portion of the ethmoid plate presented a gap in the anterior edge, forming a cleft. The hypoxia level was associated with the severity of the phenotype (p<0.0001). For the families, there was no under-transmitted allele among the affected progeny (p>0.05). Conclusion Hypoxia is involved in the oral cleft etiology, however, polymorphisms in HIF-1A are not associated with oral clefts in humans.

Background: Recent evidence from birth order data suggest that maternal factors can differently influence anencephaly and spina bifida. Aim: To study the influence of maternal age on the risk for neural tube defects. Material and methods: A meta-analysis of published data on neural tube defects (NTDs) was carried out to determine whether there is an increased risk to have a child with NTDs for younger and older mothers and if this risk differs depending on the type of NTD. All data available with information regarding the frequency of live births and NTDs cases by maternal age (five- or ten-year intervals) were included in the analysis. Effect sizes calculations were performed. Results: The analysis supports the hypothesis that there is an increased risk of having an offspring with NTDs for mothers 40 years of age or older. However, this effect is stronger for spina bifida than for anencephaly. There is also evidence that mothers 19 years old or younger have a higher risk for having a child with spina bifida. Conclusions: Maternal age influences the risk of having an offspring with neural tube defects (Rev Méd Chile 2005; 133: 62-70)

Background: Mutations of the MSX1 gene may contribute to nonsyndromic forms of cleft lip and/or cleft palate. Aim: To search for mutations of MSX1 coding regions, including one highly conserved non-coding region in the single intron, among Chilean patients with cleft lip/palate. Patients and Methods: We studied 45 patients with cleft lip/palate and their parents. Oral mucosa samples were obtained with a swab. DNA was extracted and amplified by PCR. Results: Two missense mutations (G16D and G34A) were identified in this study that may be useful for future admixture studies. The G16D mutation appears to disrupt a possible splicing site and may contribute to clefting in this population. Conclusions: Rare MSX1 mutations are found in some cases of cleft lip and/or cleft palate but others remain to be found most likely in other regulatory regions of the gene (Rev Méd Chile 2004; 132: 816-22)