Estimation of Human Islet Antigen Insulinoma-Associated-2 Autoantibody and Zinc Transporter 8 Autoantibody levels in saliva and serum in generalized periodontitis patients with and without Type 2 Diabetes mellitus - A cross-sectional study.

Objective: To assess salivary and serum levels of Human Islet Antigen Insulinoma-Associated-2 Autoantibody (IA-2A) & Zinc Transporter 8 Autoantibody (ZnT8A) in generalized periodontitis patients with and without Type 2 Diabetes mellitus (T2DM) & healthy controls. Our hypothesis was that either/both these chronic, low-grade inflammatory conditions may influence each other and lead to altered salivary and/or serum IA-2A and ZnT8A levels.

Material and methods: Periodontally & systemically healthy controls (G-I, n=20), generalized periodontitis without T2DM (G-II, n=20), T2DM without periodontitis (G-III, n=20) & generalized periodontitis with T2DM (G-IV, n=20) patients were enrolled. Periodontal, demographic, anthropometric & laboratory parameters were evaluated & analysed.

Results: Salivary and serum IA-2A & ZnT8A were significantly elevated in diabetic as compared to the non-diabetic patients (p<0.001). There was a strong & positive correlation between periodontal clinical parameters, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) & both salivary and serum IA-2A & ZnT8A. Regression analysis results determined both salivary and serum IA-2A and ZnT8A to be independent risk factors for periodontitis (p<0.05). Serum ZnT8A in T2DM patients and salivary IA-2A in non-T2DM patients were the most accurate markers to differentiate periodontitis from health.

Conclusion: Autoantibodies to IA-2 & ZnT8 may function as non-invasive markers to screen for periodontitis/or T2DM.