[The collagenolytic activity in the mixed saliva, gingival fluid and gingival tissues of patients with periodontal inflammation].

Collagenolytic activity of mixed saliva, gingival fluid and tissue was radioimmunoassayed in 39 patients with periodontal inflammations. The findings evidence a significant elevation of this activity, correlating with the inflammation severity. Gingival fluid was found the most informative of the three studied biologic media for the assessment of the inflammatory destructive changes in periodontal tissues. Therefore it is preferred to use the gingival fluid in the biochemical studies for the early diagnosis of periodontal diseases.