Relationship between circulating senescence‐associated secretory phenotype levels and severity of type 2 diabetes‐associated periodontitis: A cross‐sectional study

Abstract Background Senescence‐associated secretory phenotype (SASP) has recently been found to drive comorbid diabetes and periodontitis by inducing a chronic, low‐degree inflammatory state. Here, we sought to explore the relationship between circulating SASP and the severity of type 2 diabetes‐associated periodontitis (DP). Methods Eighty patients (middle‐aged periodontitis, M‐P group; aged periodontitis, A‐P group; M‐DP group; and A‐DP group; n = 20) provided gingival epithelium, serum, and periodontal clinical parameters. Circulating levels of 12 DP‐related SASP factors were analyzed by immunoassay. Correlation between periodontal clinical parameters and circulating SASP levels was analyzed by Spearman's rank correlation coefficient and back propagation artificial neural network (BPNN). Senescence markers (p16, p21, and HMGB1) in gingiva were determined by immunofluorescence assay. Results M‐DP group had increased serum levels of twelve SASP factors compared with the M‐P group ( p < 0.5). Serum levels of IL‐6, IL‐4, and RAGE were higher in the A‐DP group than the A‐P group ( p < 0.5). The circulating concentrations of certain SASP proteins, including IL‐1β, IL‐4, MMP‐8, OPG, RANKL, and RAGE were correlated with the clinical parameters of DP. BPNN showed that serum SASP levels had considerable predictive value for CAL of DP. Additionally, the DP group had higher expressions of p16, p21, and cytoplasmic‐HMGB1 in the gingiva than the P group ( p < 0.5). Conclusions Significantly enhanced circulating SASP levels and aggravated periodontal destruction were observed in patients with DP. Importantly, a non‐negligible association between serum SASP levels and the severity of DP was found.