# Salivary and serum alkaline phosphatase as biomarkers in type 2 diabetes mellitus: Association with periodontal health and disease

## TL;DR

This study shows that salivary and blood alkaline phosphatase levels rise with periodontal disease severity in type 2 diabetes patients, suggesting saliva could be a non-invasive way to monitor gum health.

## Contribution

The study introduces salivary alkaline phosphatase as a novel non-invasive biomarker for periodontal disease in type 2 diabetes.

## Key findings

- Salivary and serum ALP levels were significantly higher in diabetics with periodontitis compared to other groups.
- Strong correlations were found between ALP levels and periodontal parameters like probing depth and clinical attachment loss.
- Salivary ALP is proposed as a potential non-invasive biomarker for periodontal tissue destruction in diabetic patients.

## Abstract

Chronic periodontitis in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) requires reliable biomarkers for early detection and monitoring.
Therefore, it is of interest to evaluate serum and salivary alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels in 90 participants divided into healthy
controls, diabetics with healthy periodontium and diabetics with chronic periodontitis. Salivary and serum ALP levels increased progressively
across the groups and were significantly highest in diabetics with periodontitis (p < 0.001). Strong correlations were observed
between salivary ALP, serum ALP and periodontal parameters such as probing depth and clinical attachment loss. Salivary ALP shows strong
potential as a non-invasive biomarker for periodontal tissue destruction in diabetic patients.