Actividad de metaloproteinasa de matriz extracelular-9 en fluido crevicular gingival durante la respuesta reparativa en periodontitis apical asintomática

Objective

Apical destructive periodontal processes are largely mediated by specific proteases. Evidence supports that the levels of extracellular matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) could reflect the presence of asymptomatic apical periodontitis (AAP) in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF). The aim of this study was to evaluate the activity of MMP-9 during reparative response in periapical post endodontic controls between 1 week and 6 months later and in healthy controls.

Materials and methods

A prospective study was performed on 28 patients with a diagnosis of AAP. GCF samples were taken from AAP teeth at baseline and post-endodontic controls at 1 week, 1, 3 and 6 months. Additional healthy contralateral controls were obtained, and samples were eluted and analyzed by densitometric scanning and gelatin zymography.

Results

In patients with asymptomatic apical periodontitis, both the pro form and the active form of MMP-9 were identified. These showed significant increases in post-endodontic controls at three and six months, with signs of periapical repairing.

Conclusions

MMP-9 levels significantly increased in teeth diagnosed with AAP during the reparative phase. These results suggest that MMP-9 might be involved in the healing of apical tissues that might be reflected in GCF.