MORPHOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF HUMAN GINGIVAL ELASTIC FIBERS DEGRADATION BYHUMAN-LEUKOCYTE ELASTASE - PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF AVOCADO AND SOYBEAN UNSAPONIFIABLES (ASU)

Degradation of preelastic fibres (oxytalan and elaunin) and mature ela stic fibres by human leukocyte elastase (HLE) was investigated using a utomated image analysis. Specimens from two young healthy adults were used. Although HLE hydrolyzed both fibre types, mature elastic fibres exhibited greater susceptibility to this effect than preelastic fibres . Avocado and soybean unsaponifiables are widely prescribed in rheumat ology and parodontology and have also been the focus of ex vivo experi ments aimed at determining whether they protect elastic fibres against degradation by HLE. Findings from the present study indicate that avo cado and soybean unsaponifiables protect all types of gingival elastic fibres from degradation by HLE. Avocado and soybean unsaponifiables m ay be beneficial in patients with gingival inflammation and parodontit is, since HLE plays a major role in these disease states.