IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL STUDY OF NEUTROPHIL-TYPE AND FIBROBLAST-TYPE COLLAGENASES AND STROMELYSIN-1 IN ADULT PERIODONTITIS

Eight adult periodontitis (AP) patients were studied immunohistochemic ally to determine the presence of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) MMP -1, MMP-3, and MMP-8 in the marginal gingival and gingival granulation tissue specimens obtained from periodontal flap surgery after scaling and root planing. Clinically healthy gingival tissue specimens obtain ed from impacted third-molar extraction operations served as controls. MMP-type-specific antisera were applied by the avidin-biotin-peroxida se complex staining method. Moderate immunoreactivity for neutrophil c ollagenase (MMP-8) was found both in the AP patients' marginal gingiva l connective tissue and in gingival granulation tissue specimens. Immu noreactivity for fibroblast-type collagenase (MMP-1) and stromelysin-1 (MMP-3) was detected only in the AP patients' gingival granulation ti ssue specimens. In the control specimens, no immunoreactivity for the MMPs could be detected. For the first time, this finding demonstrates immunohistochemically the presence of MMP-8 in human inflamed gingiva in situ, and further highlights the importance of MMP-8 in periodontal tissue destruction, evidently during the acute phase(s) of the diseas e. However, our results confirm and extend previous studies indicating that other types of MMPs from resident gingival cell sources also see m to participate in the chronic and destructive course of periodontal inflammation.