Effect of Smoking on the Expression of Gelatinases in Chronic Periodontitis

Smokers have greater risk for developing periodontal disease and smoking is highly correlated with greater marginal bone loss. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) play a major role in periodontal tissue destruction. MMP-2 and MMP-9, called gelatinases, are one of the major MMPs that plays important roles in periodontitis. To date, several studies showed the increased levels of gelatinases in periodontal disease and only a limited number of study investigated the effect of smoking on gelatinases. However, no previous study has directly investigated the possible relationship between smoking and gingival tissue gelatinases expressions (MMP-2 and MMP-9) in chronic periodontitis (CP) patients relative to periodontally healthy subjects.

Therefore this study is conducted to comparatively evaluate the expressions of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in smoker vs non-smoker chronic periodontitis patients as well as periodontally healthy subjects. the of this study hypothesis was that smoking may interfere with periodontal disease by effecting MMP-2 and MMP-9 expressions.

Inclusion criteria

• A total of 80 subjects (35 females, 45 males, with an age range of 16-62 years) were included in this study from those patients seeking dental treatment at the Baskent University School of Dentistry between February 2010 and December 2012.

Exclusion criteria

• Patients with systemic disease;
• pregnant and/or lactating women;
• patients taking any medications that may influence the study.