Salivary interleukin-8 levels in children suffering from Type 1 diabetes mellitus

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the differences between the salivary levels of IL-8 in patients with Type I diabetes mellitus (DM) with (DM+P) or without (DM-P) concomitant periodontitis and healthy subjects. The correlations between the levels of these cytokines and clinical periodontal parameters were also established Methods: Twenty children and adolescents with Type I DM (10 diagnosed with periodontitis, 10 presenting no signs of periodontitis) and a control group consisting of 20 healthy children and adolescents aged 7-18 years were recruited for this study. Results: The Salivary IL-8 level was statistically significantly (p<0.005) elevated in subjects with Type 1 DM (474.47 +/- 716.76) compared to non-diabetic control group (101.99 +/- 68.32). There was no difference (p>0.05) in the salivary IL-8 level when subjects with Type I DM with concomitant periodontitis were compared to diabetics without periodontitis. When the salivary IL-8 level in subjects with Type I DM was correlated with the clinical parameters, no statistical significance was found Conclusion: An elevated salivary IL-8 level in subjects with Type 1 DM without concomitant periodontitis plays a major role in the development of diabetic micro and macroangiopathy and pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Consequently, this may offer a basis for the assessment of risk, prophylaxis and treatment of diabetic complications.