Saliva biomarkers can help predict diabetic neuropathy in type 1 diabetes

Salivary levels of the inflammatory biomarker immunoglobulin A (IgA) appear to be significantly suppressed in type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) patients with neuropathy (DMN), reports a recent study.

The study included saliva samples collected from 32 participants, of whom 10 were healthy (H), 10 had DM, and 12 had DMN. DMN patients tended to be older, were more likely to be women, and had a longer disease duration than those with DM. Baseline characteristics were largely balanced between the DM and H groups.

Global comparison of saliva biomarkers showed that IgA was significantly lower in the DM vs H group (p<0.05), while α-amylase and interleukin-6 trended higher among DM patients. Biomarker levels were generally comparable between DMN and DM patients.

Analysis stratified according to participants’ oral health revealed that IgA was significantly suppressed in DMN patients with healthy periodontium, as compared with the H group (p<0.05). A similar trend was reported for DM patients but failed to reach significance.

Bayes logistic regression analysis further confirmed that IgA levels could significantly predict a binary response between H vs DM states (p=0.048), while periodontal health could do the same for H vs DMN response (p=0.033).

“Changes in the salivary biomarkers, such as IgA, could serve as diagnostic and monitoring tools to identify diabetes-induced tissue damage,” the researchers said. “Our findings contribute to early disease intervention strategies and highlight the potential use of saliva for monitoring diabetes-related neuropathy with concomitant periodontal inflammation among individuals with type 1 diabetes.”