Influence of glycemic control on the levels of subgingival periodontal pathogens in patients with generalized chronic periodontitis and type 2 diabetes

Objective: this study evaluated the influence of glycemic control on the levels and frequency of subgingival periodontal pathogens in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (dm) and generalized chronic periodontitis (chp). material and methods: fifty-six patients with generalized chp and type 2 dm were assigned according to the levels of glycated hemoglobin (hba1c) into one of the following groups: hba1c<8% (n=28) or hba1c≥8% (n=28). three subgingival biofilm samples from sites with probing depth (pd)<5 mm and three samples from sites with pd≥5 mm were analyzed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (pcr) for the presence and levels of porphyromonas gingivalis,tannerella forsythia,treponema denticola,eubacterium nodatum,parvimona micra,fusobacterium nucleatum ssp. and prevotella intermedia. results: the mean counts of f. nucleatum ssp. were statistically significantly higher in the sites with pd≥5 mm of the hba1c≥8% group (p<0.05). frequencies of detection of t. forsythia,e. nodatum,p. micra and f. nucleatum ssp. were all higher in the sites with pd≥5 mm of the patients with hba1c≥8%,compared with those of patients with hba1c<8% (p<0.05). frequency of detection of p. intermedia was higher in the sites with pd<5 mm of the patients with hba1c≥8% than those of the patients with hba1c<8% (p<0.05). conclusions: poor glycemic control,as indicated by hba1c≥8%,is associated with increased levels and frequencies of periodontal pathogens in the subgingival biofilm of subjects with type 2 dm and chp. © 2017,faculdade de odontologia de bauru. all rights reserved.