Periodontal status and cytoplasmic enzyme activities in gingival crevicular fluid of type 2 diabetic and/or obese patients with chronic periodontitis

Type 2 diabetes mellitus and obesity are the most common nutritional disorders in developed and developing countries. Increased prevalence of periodontal disease is a well-known complication of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). As obesity is generally the first step toward type 2 diabetes mellitus, it is possible to find exacerbated periodontal disease in obese patients, also. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the periodontal status and aspartate aminotransferase and lactate dehydrogenase enzyme activities in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) of type 2 diabetic and/or obese chronic periodontitis patients. A total of 39 chronic periodontitis patients participated in the study. The study population was divided into four groups according to body mass index and type 2 DM status: 1) type 2 DM obese patients, n = 8; 2) type 2 DM patients, n = 12; 3) obese patients, n = 8; 4) systemically healthy control group, n = 11. Enzyme activities in gingival crevicular fluid and periodontal status were evaluated. No significant differences in age, gingival index, plaque index, aspartate aminotransferase and lactate dehydrogenase enzyme activities were observed, but probing depths were significantly higher in the DM groups than in the control group. Obesity did not seem to be a significant factor in any parameters evaluated. The present study showed increased probing depth values for the diabetic groups but failed to show any significant relation between obesity and enzyme activity or periodontal status. However, the slightly increased probing depth values in the obese groups might be a clue to an impaired immune response and predisposition to periodontitis in that patient group.