LAUSR

OBJECTIVE The aim was to profile serum and salivary levels of active-matrix metalloproteinase (aMMP)-8, tissue inhibitor MMP (TIMP)-1, aMMP-8/TIMP-1 ratio, total MMP (tMMP)-9, tMMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio, myeloperoxidase (MPO), and human neutrophil elastase (HNE) in periodontitis and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). MATERIALS AND METHODS RA patients with periodontitis (RA+P, n=26), periodontally healthy RA patients (RA, n=23), systemically healthy periodontitis patients (P, n=24), and controls (C, n=24) were included. aMMP-8 levels were determined by a time-resolved immunofluorescence assay (IFMA), TIMP-1, tMMP-9, MPO and HNE levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent (ELISA) assays. RESULTS Higher salivary aMMP-8 (P<0.001), aMMP-8/TIMP-1 ratio (P=0.043), tMMP-9 (P=0.011), tMMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio (P=0.022), MPO (P=0.026) and HNE (P<0.001) levels were detected in P relative to the controls. Salivary TIMP-1 were increased in RA patients regardless of periodontal status (RA+P vs. P: P=0.038; RA vs. C: P=0.020). Serum neutrophil proteases were increased in RA groups (RA+P, RA) compared to systemically healthy groups (P, C) (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Serum levels of neutrophil proteases were increased in RA study groups; however rheumatologic status seemingly do not affect salivary levels of these proteins.