Inflammatory markers in gingival crevicular fluid of periodontitis patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus according to glycemic control: A pilot study

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and periodontitis are inflammatory conditions with a bidirectional association. This pilot study aimed to evaluate whether T2DM and glycemic control interfere in inflammatory markers profiles in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) in periodontitis patients. Fourteen diabetic periodontitis patients were enrolled in this study, seven with adequate glycemic control (glycated hemoglobin [HbA1c] 6 mm) of an entirely hemiarch, pooled and cytokines levels determined using multiplex beads immunoassay. Clinical periodontal parameters were analyzed by Mann-Whitney test and levels of cytokines by Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn's multiple comparison tests with confidence level of 95% (P < 0.05). Cytokines profile of GCF obtained from deep periodontal pockets presented high levels of inflammatory cytokines, and there were no statistical differences between levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor-α according to presence of diabetes or percentage of HbA1c among the groups, despite groups with T2DM and periodontitis exhibit higher levels of PD. Within the limitations of this study, inflammatory mediators in GCF are dependent to the local response and do not correlate with the diabetic status.