Abstract
BACKGROUND: The two-way relationship between periodontitis and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is well established. Prolonged hyperglycemia contributes to increased periodontal destruction and severe periodontitis, accentuating diabetic complications. An inflammatory link exists between diabetic retinopathy (DR) and periodontitis, but the studies regarding this association and the role of lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in these conditions are scarce in the literature. AIM: To determine the correlation of periodontal inflamed surface area (PISA) with glycated Hb (HbA1c), serum IL-6 and Lp(a) in T2DM subjects with retinopathy. METHODS: This cross-sectional study comprised 40 T2DM subjects with DR and 40 T2DM subjects without DR. All subjects were assessed for periodontal parameters [bleeding on probing (BOP), probing pocket depth, clinical attachment loss (CAL), oral hygiene index-simplified, plaque index (PI) and PISA], and systemic parameters [HbA1c, fasting plasma glucose and postprandial plasma glucose, fasting lipid profile, serum IL-6 and serum Lp(a)]. RESULTS: The proportion of periodontitis in T2DM with and without DR was 47.5% and 27.5% respectively. Severity of periodontitis, CAL, PISA, IL-6 and Lp(a) were higher in T2DM with DR group compared to T2DM without DR group. Sig-nificant difference was observed in the mean percentage of sites with BOP between T2DM with DR (69%) and T2DM without DR (41%), but there was no significant difference in PI (P > 0.05). HbA1c was positively correlated with CAL (r = 0.351, P = 0.001), and PISA (r = 0.393, P ≤ 0.001) in study subjects. A positive correlation was found between PISA and IL-6 (r = 0.651, P < 0.0001); PISA and Lp(a) (r = 0.59, P < 0.001); CAL and IL-6 (r = 0.527, P < 0.0001) and CAL and Lp(a) (r = 0.631, P < 0.001) among study subjects. CONCLUSION: Despite both groups having poor glycemic control and comparable plaque scores, the periodontal parameters were higher in DR as compared to T2DM without DR. Since a bidirectional link exists between periodontitis and DM, the presence of DR may have contributed to the severity of periodontal destruction and periodontitis may have influenced the progression of DR.