Levels of Salivary Immunoglobulin a and Immunoglobulin G in Type 2 Diabetic Patients

Abstract

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disorder of glucose metabolism and it is associated with a compromised oral immunity. Salivary immunoglobulins offer a comprehensive protection for the oral cavity; however, there is insufficient data regarding their levels in type 2 diabetic patients. This study aimed to measure salivary Immunoglobulin G (IgG) and Immunoglobulin A (IgA) in diabetic patients in comparison to healthy nondiabetic controls. Methods: Diabetic patients from the outpatient clinic and nondiabetic healthy members of staff, were recruited for this study. Unstimulated saliva samples were collected from all participants and levels of immunoglobulins A and G were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay techniques; the values were compared between the two groups. Results: A total of 167 participants were recruited for this study, 95 (56.9%) of them were diabetic patients, while the remaining 72 (43.1%) were healthy nondiabetic controls. The median salivary IgA was 12.57 (Interquartile range [IQR] 11.05–13.67) g/ml in the diabetics and 11.94 (IQR 10.41–13.65) μg/ml in the control group; P = 0.31 while the median salivary IgG was 32.27 (IQR 25.26–38.33) μg/ml in the diabetics and 26.26 (22.48–31.29) μg/ml in the control group; P < 0.001. Conclusion: Salivary IgG was significantly elevated in the diabetic patients, in spite of a higher prevalence of oral infections, this calls for a more stringent attention to oral hygiene in diabetic patients.

Oral innate immunity in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in a tertiary hospital in Ibadan Nigeria: a cross-sectional study

“…The age group of the children involved, and the presence of caries and other periodontal diseases may have constituted important confounders. It is however noteworthy that other studies showed that certain salivary proteins like immunoglobulins, defensins and cathelicidin are reportedly overexpressed in the oral cavity of patients with diabetes although they still do not protect them, and the mechanism behind this finding are not clear [ 19 , 30 ].…”

“…The oral cavity is estimated to be harbouring over 400 different species of bacteria but their pathogenicity is curtailed by the immunological cells and antimicrobial proteins within the saliva which baths the cavity [ 16 ]. More than 300 proteins have been isolated from the saliva; only a few of those proteins have antimicrobial activities [ 17 - 19 ]. Being the first line of protection against invading microbes, the innate antimicrobial proteins in the saliva are critical in maintaining the integrity of the oral cavity.…”