Periodontal disease and type 2 diabetes: effects on salivary enzyme activities

There has been correlation between type 2 diabetes and periodontal disease and numerous markers in saliva, such as intracellular enzymes, which have been proposed as diagnostic tests for periodontal diseases. The present study estimates the activities of some salivary enzymes as possible means of diagnosis and treatment monitoring of periodontal disease patients with type 2 diabetes. A total of 320 subjects, of both sexes, aged 28–81 years were included in the study and divided into four groups of 80 subjects each. The groups were non-diabetics with periodontal disease, type 2 diabetics with periodontal disease, type 2 diabetics without periodontal disease and apparently healthy non-diabetics (controls). The activities of the enzymes, acid phosphatase (ACP), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), alanine transmainase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were determined in saliva of the subjects using standard spectrophotometric methods. For data analysis, paired students t-test was done using SPSS computer software and the results are presented as mean±SD. The enzyme activities (U/L) investigated showed significant differences (P < 0.001) in the enzymes studied in non-diabetics with periodontal disease and diabetics with periodontal disease, whereas only ALT was significant in diabetics without periodontal disease, compared with controls. A comparison of non-diabetics and the type 2 diabetics with periodontal disease showed significant increases in all the enzymes except ALP and CK in diabetics. Type 2 diabetes and periodontal disease leads to significant increases in salivary enzyme activities, with higher activity in co-occurrence. Salivary enzyme activities can be useful in diagnosis, treatment and management of the two conditions.