Role of Cathepsin S in Periodontal Inflammation and Infection.

Cathepsin S is a cysteine protease and regulator of autophagy with possible involvement in periodontitis. The objective of this study was to investigate whether cathepsin S is involved in the pathogenesis of periodontal diseases. Human periodontal fibroblasts were cultured under inflammatory and infectious conditions elicited by interleukin-1 and , respectively. An array-based approach was used to analyze differential expression of autophagy-associated genes. Cathepsin S was upregulated most strongly and thus further studied at gene and protein levels. , gingival tissue biopsies from rats with ligature-induced periodontitis and from periodontitis patients were also analyzed at transcriptional and protein levels. Multiple gene expression changes due to interleukin-1 and were observed . Both stimulants caused a significant cathepsin S upregulation. A significantly elevated cathepsin S expression in gingival biopsies from rats with experimental periodontitis was found , as compared to that from control. Gingival biopsies from periodontitis patients showed a significantly higher cathepsin S expression than those from healthy gingiva. Our findings provide original evidence that cathepsin S is increased in periodontal cells and tissues under inflammatory and infectious conditions, suggesting a critical role of this autophagy-associated molecule in the pathogenesis of periodontitis.