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Upregulation of salivary �±2 macroglobulin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Author(s): J.K. Feng, Y.F. Lu, J. Li, Y.H. Qi, M.L. Yi and D.Y. Ma

We investigated the expression of salivary α2-macroglobulin (α2-MG) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) to investigate its value for predicting damage to the salivary glands. A total of 116 patients with T2DM and 60 patients with impaired fasting glucose (IFG) were included in this study. Sixty health volunteers were enrolled as a control group. Unstimulated saliva was collected at 8 a.m. prior to breakfast. Expression of α2-MG was determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The correlation between salivary α2-MG, serum α2-MG, and concentration of fasting glucose was analyzed using Pearson correlation analysis. No significant difference was observed in the expression of serum α2-MG in the T2DM group, IFG group, and control group (P > 0.05). Compared with the control group and IFG group, a statistical difference was observed in the salivary α2-MG in the T2DM group (P 0.05). In the patients with T2DM, a close correlation was identified in the expression of serum α2-MG and salivary α2-MG (r = 0.52, P