Downregulated Gene Expression in Diabetic Patients and its Correlation with Oral Health

Abstract

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is a growing public health concern and a common chronic endocrinal and metabolic disease worldwide. This degenerative disorder is characterized by chronic hyperglycaemia. In healthy subjects, the epithelium of oral mucosa creates a protective barrier against pathogens and carcinogens. Oral disorders in patients with diabetes manifest increment of cells and proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms. Reports document that delayed mucosal wound healing are manifestations of diabetes. Progressive atrophy of oral mucosa in patients with diabetes has caused reduction of this protective barrier, even increasing the risk of malignancy in these patients. Histological analysis of a diabetic animal model showed that epithelial tissue and collagen function was affected in diabetics. Quantitative real-time PCR revealed that expression genes of growth factors like PDGF, EGF, FGF, IGF, and NGF were significantly downregulated in the diabetic model at the wound site. Increase in inflammatory process in the gingival epithelium due to suppression the respective mRNA gene expression were documented in various literatures. These strongly suggest that disturbance in epithelial proliferation, connective tissue growth and delayed wound healing of oral mucosa in diabetes may be associated with decreased expression levels of these regulatory genes. This article aims to review and increase the awareness of oral manifestations and establishing its correlation with diabetes mellitus at a genetic platform and to stimulate research on the subject.