Diabetes can play havoc on your health. But do you know that this lifestyle-related disorder can also alter your oral microbiome? This is the reason why diabetes is often accompanied by an increased risk of periodontitis. It is a gum disease which is followed by inflammation around teeth as well as bone loss. So if you’re suffering from diabetes, then you need to be more careful about your oral health as well. A recent research has established a link between diabetes and tooth decay.
The study was carried out on mice which revealed that mice who developed high blood sugar levels or who were hyperglycaemic, had their microbiome altered from their normal counterparts, who had less diverse community of bacteria. The diabetic mice also had periodontitis which also caused loss of bone supporting the teeth and increased levels of IL-7, which is a signalling molecule linked with periodontal disease in humans.
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"The diabetic mice behaved similar to humans that had periodontal bone loss and increased IL-17 caused by a genetic disease," said Dana Graves from the University of Pennsylvania in the US.
For the study, published in the journal Cell Host and Microbe, the team of researchers transferred microorganisms from the diabetic mice to normal germ-free mice, animals that have been raised without being exposed to any microbes.These recipient mice also developed bone loss.
However, a micro-CT scan revealed they had 42 per cent less bone than mice that had received a microbial transfer from normal mice. Further, mice that received microbiomes from diabetic mice treated with an anti-IL-17 antibody had much less severe bone loss.
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The findings "demonstrate unequivocally" that diabetes-induced changes in the oral microbiome drive inflammatory changes that enhance bone loss in periodontitis, the researchers said.
"Diabetes is one of the systemic disease that is most closely linked to periodontal disease, but the risk is substantially ameliorated by good glycemic control. And good oral hygiene can take the risk even further down," Graves noted.
However, the IL-17 treatment was at successful at reducing bone loss in the mice, it is improbable to be a rational therapeutic strategy in humans due to its key role in immune protection. The study lays emphasis on the important for diabetic people of controlling blood sugar and practicing proper oral hygiene.
(With IANS Inputs)
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