Salivary collagenase, elastase‐and trypsin‐like proteases as biochemical markers of periodontal tissue destruction in adult and localized juvenile periodontitis

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Abstract
The profile of salivary proteases and their cellular origin, with special to polymorphonuclear leukocytes and bacteria, was studied in localized juvenile periodontitis and compared with adult periodontitis and healthy controls. General proteolytic activity in saliva as well as collagenase, elastase‐like and trypsin‐like activity was measured. In addition, the sensitivity of salivary collagenase of patients with localized juvenile periodontitis to doxycycline inhibition was studied. The saliva of localized juvenile periodontitis patients contained low amounts of collagenase compared with adult periodontitis saliva, and almost all salivary collagenase was found to exist in endogenously active form, as was found to be the case also in adult periodontitis patients and healthy controls. The salivary collagenase of localized juvenile periodontitis patients was relatively insensitive to 100 μmol/1 doxycycline but was completely inhibited by 600 μmol/1 doxycycline, reflecting rather matrix metalloproteinase‐1(fibroblast‐type) than matrix metalloproteinase‐8 (polymorphonuclear leukocyte) enzyme. The saliva of localized juvenile periodontitis patients also contained low amounts of elastase‐like activity compared with the saliva of untreated adult periodontitis patients. Scaling and root planing caused a significant decrease in elastase‐like activity in the saliva of adult periodontitis patients. General proteolylic and trypsin‐like activities were also low in the saliva of localized juvenile periodontitis patients. Furthermore, the reducing agent β‐mercaptoethanol did not activate or inhibit the salivary trypsin‐like activity of localized juvenile periodontitis or adult periodontitis patients, although the reduclant readily activated partially purified Porphyromonas gingivalis trypsin‐like protease in a characteristic manner. Our results show low levels of polymorphonuclear leukocytes and microbe‐derived proteases in the saliva of localized juvenile periodontitis patients compared with the saliva of adult periodontitis patients. It thus appears that tissue destruction localized to incisors and first molars, characteristic of localized juvenile periodontitis, is not clearly reflected in saliva. However, in particular, elastase‐like activity (SAAVNA assay) of saliva would seem to be a good and simple indicator of adult (but not localized juvenile) periodontitis. The present results reflect differences in tissue destruction mediators or mechanisms in localized juvenile periodontitis and adult periodontitis. In addition, care should be taken in interpreting the results of salivary or mouthrinse biochemical markers revealing tissue destruction events in different forms of periodontal disease.