ASPARTATE-AMINOTRANSFERASE (AST) LEVELS IN HUMAN PERIODONTIUM-DERIVEDCELLS

THE ABILITY TO OBJECTIVELY ASSESS periodontal disease activity can sig nificantly affect periodontal therapy. Aspartate aminotransferase (AST ) is released extracellularly upon tissue destruction which suggests i ts potential as a key index in a quantitative assay for evaluating per iodontal disease activity. The purpose of the present research was to assess the origin of AST in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) in vitro. An experimental kit was used for the measurement of AST level in human gingival epithelial cells (HGEs), human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs), human periodontal ligament fibroblasts (HPLFs), polymorphonuclear leuk ocytes (PMNs), and plasma in peripheral blood. AST activity levels wer e observed in all of the periodontally derived cells, PMNs, and plasma . A significantly high level of AST activity was observed in HGEs (104 .93 +/- 8.13 KU/1000 cells). The level of AST activity in HPLFs was 18 .09 +/- 3.73 KU/1000 cells. AST activity in PMNs was significantly low , approximately 2% of that observed in HPLFs. These findings may sugge st that AST level in GCF is correlated with the destruction of periodo ntal tissue.