Impact of Periodontitis on Glycemic Control and Metabolic Status in Diabetes Patients: Current Knowledge on Early Disease Markers and Therapeutic Perspectives

Figure 1

Impact of diabetes on periodontal health. Hyperglycemia in diabetic subjects favors different pro-inflammatory responses that affect the systemic health and the periodontal tissues. The incremented adipokine production (especially in obese adults) induces the release of different pro-inflammatory mediators such as leptin, IL-6, and TNF-α. Furthermore, AGEs deposition in the different human tissues further stimulates cytokine release and inflammation. Another mechanism of periodontal tissue destruction is the altered neutrophil polymorphonucleates’ (PMN) function characterized by enhanced respiratory burst and delayed apoptosis. MMP is the acronym of metalloproteinases. All these factors combined to genetic predisposition and pathological subgingival biofilm lead to the increased risk of severe periodontitis development.