Elevated insulin resistance in patients with recurrent aphthous stomatitis

The role of glucose metabolism disorders in periodontal diseases including recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is currently attracting attention. The aim of this study is to investigate insulin resistance (IR) in patients with RAS in otherwise healthy individuals.

The study enrolled 81 patients with RAS and 61 healthy control subjects. Blood glucose, insulin, C-peptide, hemoglobin A1c, total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and HOMA-IR were measured in each individual.

Forty-two of the RAS group were in the active, and 39 of the RAS group were in the passive stage. The levels of c-peptide, insulin, and HOMA-IR were remarkably higher in the RAS group (p = 0.015; p < 0.0001; p < 0.0001, respectively) than the control group. The levels of HbA1c, glucose (p = 0,045), TC (p = 0,008), HDL cholesterol (p = 0,002), and HOMA-IR (p = 0.022) were significantly higher in patients with RAS in the active stage.

The study revealed an elevated IR in patients with RAS that was not previously shown. IR was more prominent when the patients were in the active stage that elevated inflammatory cytokines may induce IR by interfering with insulin signaling. Further studies, investigating the interplay between RAS, inflammation, and IR are needed.

Patients who admitted the hospital with RAS might be screened for prediabetes.