title: Secretion of salivary statherin is compromised in uncontrolled diabetic patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Statherin is an important salivary protein for maintaining oral health. The purpose of the current study was to determine if differences in statherin levels exist between diabetic and healthy subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 48 diabetic and healthy controls were randomly selected from a community-based database. Diabetic subjects (n=24) had fasting glucose levels >180 mg/dL, while controls (n=24) had levels <110 mg/dL. Parotid saliva (PS) and sublingual/submandibular saliva (SS) were collected and salivary flow rates determined. Salivary statherin levels were determined by densitometry of Western blots. Blood hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and total protein in saliva were also obtained.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SS, but not PS, salivary flow rate and total protein in diabetics were significantly less than in healthy controls (p=0.021 & p<0.001 respectively). Correlation analysis revealed the existence of a negative correlation between PS statherin levels and HbA1c (p=0.012) and fasting glucose (p=0.021) levels, while no such correlation was found for SS statherin levels. When statherin levels were normalized to total salivary protein, the proportion of PS statherin, but not SS statherin, in diabetics was significantly less than controls (p=0.032). In contrast, the amount of statherin secretion in SS, but not PS, was significantly decreased in diabetics compared to controls (p=0.016).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results show that synthesis and secretion of statherin is reduced in diabetics and this reduction is salivary gland specific. As compromised salivary statherin secretion leads to increased oral health risk, this study indicates that routine oral health assessment of these patients is warranted.
authors: Department of Comprehensive Dentistry, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229-3900, USA.
authors: Masahiro
authors: M
authors: Izumi
authors: Department of Comprehensive Dentistry, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229-3900, USA.
authors: Bin-Xian
authors: BX
authors: Zhang
authors: Department of Comprehensive Dentistry, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229-3900, USA.
authors: David D
authors: DD
authors: Dean
authors: Department of Comprehensive Dentistry, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229-3900, USA.
authors: Alan L
authors: AL
authors: Lin
authors: Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229-3900, USA.
authors: Michèle J
authors: MJ
authors: Saunders
authors: Department of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229-3900, USA.
authors: Helen P
authors: HP
authors: Hazuda
authors: Department of Comprehensive Dentistry, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229-3900, USA ; Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), South Texas Veterans Healthcare System, San Antonio, TX, 78229-4404, USA.
authors: Chih-Ko
authors: CK
authors: Yeh
keywords: Diabetes; Oral health; Saliva; Statherin