Furthermore, a rank-sum test identified significant differences for 18 genes—ZBP1, STING1, AIM2, SAMHD1, CASP6, PYCARD, NLRP3, DNM1L, NINJ1, MAPK1, TNF, CASP8, NFS1, RIPK3, MAPK3, CASP1, XAF1, and CDK1—between periodontitis and healthy control samples (P < 0.05; Figure 2B). This evidence concerns the gene NLRP3 and periodontitis.