PERIODONTAL INFLAMED SURFACE AREA IN NON-DIABETIC AND DIABETIC PERSONS WITH OBESITY

Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of this research was to evaluate the periodontal inflamed surface area (PISA) in persons with clinically severe obesity with or without diabetes. The PISA is thought of as the main contributor to any systemic inflammatory burden posed by periodontitis. The aforementioned disease is a chronic inflammatory condition characterized by a shift in the microbiological ecology and an increase in the inflammatory host response. This condition may affect more than teeth and their supporting structure. A relationship is thought to exist between periodontitis and systemic health; thus, periodontitis is thought to be a risk factor for various disorders such as diabetes. Methods: This study analyzed the baseline data of individuals participating in a prospective study investigating whether diabetes alters the subgingival microbial composition and/or bacteria RNA expression by comparing bacteria obtained from patients with and without diabetes both before and after bariatric surgery. Patients from Temple University’s Hospital Bariatric Surgery Program were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria for the parent study and analyzed in the present study. Medical data including BMI, HbA1c and fasting glucose were obtained. Following the dental examination, the periodontal epithelial surface area (PESA) affected by bleeding on probing (BOP) was quantified. PESA and PISA for each patient was calculated (Neese et al., 2008). Statistical analysis comparing non-diabetics and diabetics was performed using the non-parametric Mann-Whitney U Test. Results: Of the 8 participants, 25% were diabetic and 75% were non-diabetic. The mean PESA was 1785.20 ± 728.18 mm2 and 1544.80 ± 204.73 mm2 in patients with and without diabetes, respectively. The mean PISA was 875.10 ± 653.50 mm2 and 568.78 ± 181.38 mm2 in patients with and without diabetes, respectively. While both PESA and PISA were higher among those with diabetes, the differences did not reach statistical significance. Conclusions: These findings suggest that the inflammatory burden posed by periodontitis is greater in diabetics with obesity compared to non-diabetics with obesity. A larger sample size would be required to have appropriate statistical power to confirm the present findings. Such a study would provide a better understanding of the underlying systemic implications of periodontitis in diabetic and non-diabetic persons with clinically severe obesity.