Comparative Analysis of Oral Bacterial Load and Antibiotic Susceptibility Profiles in Libyan Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) and Periodontitis Cohorts
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54361/LJMR.20.3.98Keywords:
Oral microbiology, Bacterial load, Colony forming units, Antibiotic hypersensitivity, Type 2 diabetes mellitus, PeriodontitisAbstract
Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and periodontitis are prevalent inflammatory conditions interacting bidirectionally. Although genomic alterations have been documented, it remains unclear how early-onset T2DM and periodontitis modify culturable bacterial load and antibiotic hypersensitivity patterns in plaque biofilms in the Libyan population. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional culturing study using supragingival and subgingival plaque from 60 adults (30–40 years) in Benghazi, divided into healthy (H, n=10), periodontitis (P, n=10), T2DM (n=20), and T2DM with periodontitis (T2DM_P, n=20). Total culturable aerobic and anaerobic bacterial loads were determined via colony-forming units (CFU/mg). Antibiotic hypersensitivity profiling was evaluated using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method against amoxicillin, metronidazole, clindamycin, and doxycycline. Results: The T2DM_P group exhibited the highest total anaerobic bacterial load (7.84 ± 0.42 log10 CFU/mg) compared to the healthy group (4.12 ± 0.28 log10 CFU/mg; p < 0.001). Antibiotic hypersensitivity testing revealed significantly reduced zones of inhibition (increased resistance) to metronidazole and amoxicillin in plaque isolates from the T2DM_P and P groups compared to healthy individuals (p < 0.01). Clindamycin and doxycycline retained the highest overall hypersensitivity zones across all cohorts. Conclusion: Early-onset T2DM combined with periodontitis significantly intensifies the total pathogenic bacterial load and reduces antibiotic susceptibility profiles within dental plaque. Culturable monitoring provides a pragmatic window for targeted local medical-dental interventions.
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