Concentration of collagenases (MMP-1, -8, -13) in patients with chronically inflamed dental pulp tissue.

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) form an enzyme family capable of degrading almost all extracellular matrix (ECM) and basement membrane (BM) components. They play an important role in normal tissue remodelling and growth, as well as in many destructive pathological conditions such as inflammation, tumour growth and metastasis. The role of MMPs in the breakdown of pulp tissue of teeth with pulpitis has not yet been directly elucidated. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the tissue levels of collagenases (MMP-1, -8, -13) and their distributions in the clinically healthy and chronically inflamed human dental pulps of 30 patients, aged 15-70 years. Twenty pulps were collected from subjects diagnosed with chronic pulpitis, and 10 control pulps were obtained from 10 subjects following molar extraction for orthodontic reasons. The levels of collagenases were determined with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results reveal that levels of collagenases were significantly higher in chronically inflamed vs. clinically normal pulps. Overall, these results show that MMPs play an important role in ECM destruction during the inflammatory processes of pulpitis, as well as reflecting the special characteristics of them. This investigation opens a new opportunity for one contemporary method for the diagnosis of pulp inflammations and monitoring of the inflammatory processes.