The level of antimicrobial peptides in gingival crevicular fluid and its correlation with periodontal clinical indexes in elderly patients with type 2 diabetic periodontitis

Objective To investigate the changes and significance of human beta-defensin-2 (HBD-2) and LL-37 in the gingival crevicular fluid of patients with periodontitis and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods This study was conducted among 45- to 85-year-old patients in the Department of Stomatology and Internal Medicine of Shenzhen Center for Chronic Disease Control, including a healthy control group of 22 people, a systemically healthy control group of 19 people with periodontitis, a T2DM periodontal health group of 15 people, and a T2DM group of 21 people with periodontitis. The Florida periodontal probe was used for periodontal examination, and the clinical indexes, including probing depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL) and probing on bleeding (BOP), were recorded. The concentrations of HBD-2 and Ll-37 in gingival crevicular fluid were determined by ELISA. The differences in HBD-2, LL-37 and periodontal clinical indexes between the groups were compared, and correlation analysis was conducted.Results The PD values in T2DM with the periodontitis group were higher than those of the systemically healthy controls with periodontitis group (P < 0.05); the levels of HBD-2 and LL-37 in gingival crevicular fluid in systemically healthy controls with periodontitis group were significantly higher than those in the healthy control group (P < 0.05), the level of HBD-2 in gingival crevicular fluid in systemically healthy controls with periodontitis group was significantly higher than that in T2DM with periodontitis group (P < 0.05); and the antimicrobial peptides HBD-2 and LL-37 in gingival crevicular fluid were significantly positively correlated with the PD and CAL in systemically healthy controls with periodontitis group (P < 0.05), and there was no significant correlation between the antimicrobial peptides HBD-2, LL-37 in gingival crevicular fluid and PD, CAL in T2DM with periodontitis group (P > 0.05). Conclusion The levels of antimicrobial peptides HBD-2 and LL-37 in gingival crevicular fluid of middle-aged and elderly patients with T2DM periodontitis were lower, and there was no significant correlation with PD and CAL in periodontal clinical indicators.