Notes: Abstract Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and serine proteinases seem to be related to tissue destruction in periodontitis. The presence of MMPs in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) and saliva, however, has not been studied comprehensively with the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-technique, We therefore examined the levels of MMP-1,-3.-8 and -9, and their endogenous inhibitor, tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases (TIMP-1). in GCF and saliva of patients with adult periodontitiss (AP) and localized juvenile periodontitis (LJP). Elevated levels of MMP-1 were detected in LJP GCF compared to AP and control GCF. Elevated levels of TIMP-1 were also detected in LJP GCF in comparison to AP and control GCF Higher MMP-8 levels were detected in AP GCF compared to LJP and control GCF. The relative low levels of MMP-3 were present in all studied GCF samples. Elevated levels of MMP-8 were further detected in saliva of AP compared to LJP and the controls. Both MMP-1 and TIMP-1 were detected in all studied saliva samples, but not significant differences were detected between the studied groups. Our ELISA-results confirm that (i) PMN MMP-8 and MMP-9 are the main collagenase and gelatinase in AP GCF, whereas GCF collagenase in LJP seems to be of the MMP-1-type; (ii) only low levels of TIMP-1. endogenous MMP-inhibitor. are present in AP GCF. which emphasises the importance of doxycycline as a possible adjunctive drug in the treatment of AP patients; (iii) tests based on specific antibodies against PMN MMPs. especially MMP-8, might serve as a reliable method of measuring and monitoring enzyme levels in GCF from different periodontitis patients.

Notes: Abstract. Dental plaque is the major aetiological factor in periodontal diseases and contains several proteolytic enzymes. The origin of these proteinases is, however, poorly studied. This study was undertaken to characterize collagenase present in dental plaque of adult periodontitis patients. Vertebrate-type rather than bacterial-derived collagenase activity was detected in extracts of both supra- and subgingival dental plaque extracts of adult periodontitis patients. Dental plaque collagenase was found to exist predominantly in autoactive form. Dental plaque collagenase from periodontally healthy individuals existed in latent form. Latent dental plaque collagenase from periodontitis lesions could be activated by a 95 kD chymotrypsin-like proteinase from Treponema denticola and human leukocyte cathepsin G but not by human plasmin. Incubation of purified latent leukocyte collagenase with whole cells of Fusobacterium nucleatum, Eubacterium saburreum, Prevotella buccae and Porphyromonas gingivalis, however, did not result to the activation of the enzyme. Doxycycline in vitro inhibited dental plaque collagenase with an IC50-value of 20μM. Dental plaque collagenase degraded more efficiently type I and 11 collagens than type III collagen. Western-blot analysis with specific anti-human neutrophil collagenase-antibody revealed that both in supra-and subgingival dental plaque extracts dental plaque collagenase had undergone proteolytic conversion from an 80 kD proform to a 58 kD active form which is associated with catalytic autoactivity as measured by functional collagenase assay. This reflects proteolytic activation of leukocyte collagenase in dental plaque probably by other proteases derived from potent periodontopathogenic bacteria such as T. denticola or other PMN proteases such as cathepsin G. Multiple different molecular weight gelatinases (20-200 kD) including fragmented low molecular weight human neutrophil 92 kD gelatinase species were detected in both supra- and subgingival dental plaque extracts. Leukocyte collagenase, previously found to be the main type of collagenase present in adult periodontitis gingiva, gingiva crevicular fluid and saliva, is also the predominant type of collagenase in the plaque of periodontitis patients. Fragmented but catalytically active neutrophil gelatinase species are also present in dental plaque. The dental plaque has potential to serve as a reservoir and site of activation of neutrophil (PMN)-derived matrix metalloproteinases in the periodontal inflammation.