Guo LN, et al. - Researchers gauged the ferritin and hepcidin levels in serum and saliva of chronic periodontitis (CP) patients with or without type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). They found iron overload and hepcidin inadequacy in CP with T2DM patients. For body iron load, salivary ferritin could provide a reference.

Methods

• Experts collected the samples of serum and unstimulated whole saliva from 88 participants, who were categorized into 4 groups based on the presence or absence of CP or T2DM.
• They recorded the demographics and general health parameters.
• Authors also recorded the full-mouth clinical periodontal parameters including probing pocket depth, clinical attachment loss, bleeding index, and plaque index.
• In order to detect ferritin and hepcidin concentrations, respectively, in serum and saliva, chemiluminescence microparticle immunoassay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were used .

Results

• As per the data, serum ferritin and hepcidin levels in the CP and CP with T2DM groups were higher than the control group (P < 0.05).
• They noted a linear correlation between serum hepcidin and serum ferritin (P < 0.001).
• Compared to those in the T2DM and control groups, serum hepcidin/ferritin values in the CP with T2DM group were significantly lower.
• Findings suggested the salivary ferritin levels in the CP and T2DM groups to be higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05).
• Salivary ferritin was positively correlated with serum ferritin (P=0.017).
• Results demonstrated relatively low hepcidin concentrations in the saliva.