PERIODONTAL-DISEASE, ORAL MICROBIAL-FLORA AND SALIVARY ANTIBACTERIAL FACTORS IN DIABETES-MELLITUS TYPE-1 PATIENTS

One hundred and thirty-one patients with diabetes mellitus type 1 (IDD M) and 20 healthy controls were checked for the presence of periodonta l diseases and for some oral microbiological parameters. Results demon strated that IDDM patients, who were well compensated from both the me tabolic and clinical point of view, showed a prevalence for periodonto pathies, which only differed slightly from controls. Only the presence of gingivitis was significantly higher in IDDM patients than in healt hy subjects. Both anaerobic and aerobic microbial flora did not show s ubstantial differences for either group. Among the salivary antibacter ial factors studied, lysozyme was significantly decreased in diabetic patients compared to controls. It is concluded that IDDM patients unde rgo periodontal complications with a frequency quite close to that of non-diabetic healthy subjects, when the disease is under strict metabo lic and clinical control.