Periodontits and Inflammatory Markers in Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome

Objectives: To determine the prevalence and severity of periodontitis in diabetics and MetS subjects, and the serum levels of inflammatory markers. Materials y Methods: Four hundred and thirty subjects aged ≥35 were selected from those attending a public health center in Santiago. Of them, 128 had type 2 diabetes, 110 had MetS, and 192 systemically healthy, were used as controls. A medical history was taken, and periodontal examinations at 6 sites per tooth in all the teeth were performed. Probing depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL), bleeding on probing (BOP) and oral higiene index were assessed. Lipoprotein colesterol, glucose, hypersensitive C-reactive protein (CRP) and fibrinogen serum levels were determined. Attachment loss was used to determine severity and extensión of periodontitis. X 2 test for categorical variables, t-test for continuous and with normal distribution, Mann Whitney test for no normal distribution, and Conover-Inman test for comparison among the groups were used. Resultados: Demographic and risk factors for periodontitis were similar in the 3 groups. No significant differences in periodontitis prevalence was found (diabetes 95.53%, MetS 90.90% controls 84.37%, P>0.05. Out of BOP, all the clinical periodontal parameters were significantly higher in diabetics than in controls. In MetS subjects, periodontal parameters were higher, but not significantly, than in controls. The prevalence of severe periodontitis was significantly higher in diabetics (22.65%) than in controls (11.97%), P=0.036. The prevalence of moderate periodontitis was higher, but not significantly, in diabetic and MetS subjects than in controls. Serum CRP, but not fibrinogen levels, were significantly higher in diabetes and MetS, P=0.002. Conclusiones: Diabetics, but not SMet subjects, showed significantly higher prevalence and more severe periodontitis.