The effects of smoking on the expression of gelatinases in chronic periodontitis: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Smokers have a risk of developing periodontal disease.Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) play a significant role in periodontaltissue destruction. In this study possible relationship betweensmoking and gingival tissue expression of gelatinases in chronicperiodontitis patients relative to periodontally healthy subjects wasinvestigated. Forty chronic periodontitis patients (20 smokers and 20non-smokers) and forty periodontally healthy subjects (20 smokers and20 non-smokers) were enrolled. The clinical periodontal measurementsrecorded, and gingival tissues harvested after that. After histologicevaluation, matrix metalloproteinases -2 and -9 expressions wereanalyzed immunohistochemically. In nonsmokers, higher expressionof metalloproteinases -2 and -9 detected in chronic periodontitis groupcompared to the periodontally healthy group. In the smoker chronicperiodontitis group, the expression of metalloproteinases-2 was lower thannonsmoker chronic periodontitis group. Statistically significant differencesdetected between smoker and nonsmoker periodontally healthy groupsin metalloproteinases-2 expression. For metalloproteinases-9 expression,smoker chronic periodontitis group has lower values than nonsmokerchronic periodontitis group. In periodontally healthy group smokersshowed higher metalloproteinases -9 expressions than nonsmokers.Present findings support the role of gelatinases in chronic periodontitispathogenesis. Based on the current results we conclude that smoking altersthe expression of gelatinases in gingival tissues