Smoking and matrix metalloproteinases, neutrophil elastase and myeloperoxidase in chronic periodontitis.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate possible relationship between smoking and serum concentrations of matrix metalloproteinase-8,-9 (MMP-8, MMP-9), tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1), neutrophil elastase (NE), myeloperoxidase (MPO) in chronic periodontitis (CP) patients relative to periodontally healthy subjects.

METHODS

Serum samples were obtained from 111 subjects before initiation of any periodontal intervention. Fifty-five CP patients (39 non-smokers, 16 smokers) and 56 periodontally healthy subjects (39 non-smokers, 17 smokers) were recruited. Serum concentrations of MMP-8 were determined by IFMA and MPO, MMP-9, TIMP-1, NE concentrations by ELISA. ANCOVA and Pearson correlation analysis was utilized for statistical analysis.

RESULTS

Serum MPO, NE concentrations were higher in smoker CP than non-smoker CP patients (P=0.002 and P<0.001, respectively), whereas these were similar in smoker, non-smoker periodontally healthy groups (P > 0.05). TIMP-1 concentration was higher in non-smoker CP than smoker CP group (P<0.05). MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratios were higher in smoker CP than non-smoker CP group (P=0.01). MMP-8 concentrations, MMP-8/TIMP-1 and MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratios in CP group were not significantly different from those in periodontally healthy group (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings of significantly elevated serum MMP-9, MPO, NE together with decreased TIMP-1 in smoker CP patients than non-smokers support that smoking together with periodontal destruction may expose/predispose to cardiovascular diseases.