IADR Abstract Archives
Low overall protease activity in saliva in oral lichen planus
Objectives: Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting the oral mucosa. Clinically, the lesions may present with white striae, papules, plaques, erythema, ulceration and/or bullae. The potential malignant transformation of OLP is still being discussed, but the ulcerative type of OLP appears to have the highest risk of malignant transformation. Matriptase is a well-characterised member of the type II transmembrane protease family. Matriptase plays a role in carcinogenesis, and increased un-opposed matriptase activity has been found associated with progression of oral squamous cell carcinomas and poor patient survival. The aim of this study was to examine the activity of matriptase and other proteases in saliva from patients with OLP and healthy controls.
Methods: Chewing-stimulated whole saliva samples were obtained from 5 patients diagnosed with OLP (clinically and histopathologically) and 5 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. Three patients had reticular lesions and 2 had ulcerative lesions, none had cell dysplasia. The presence of matriptase in saliva was verified by western blotting analysis and the matriptase activity by means of a newly developed assay using the unspecific peptidic chromogenic substrate and the presence or absence of an antibody specifically inhibiting matriptase activity.
Results: The patients had slightly higher stimulated salivary flow rates compared to healthy controls. There was no unopposed matriptase activity in whole saliva samples from the patients and the healthy controls. However, the protease activity was lower in the patient samples, and particularly in samples from patients with ulcerative OLP, compared to samples from healthy controls.
Conclusions: Our preliminary results indicate that there is no unopposed matriptase activity present. There is a lower protease activity in samples from patients with OLP compared to healthy controls, particularly in samples from patients with ulcerative OLP. What part of this protease activity represents inhibited matriptase is currently being examined.
Methods: Chewing-stimulated whole saliva samples were obtained from 5 patients diagnosed with OLP (clinically and histopathologically) and 5 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. Three patients had reticular lesions and 2 had ulcerative lesions, none had cell dysplasia. The presence of matriptase in saliva was verified by western blotting analysis and the matriptase activity by means of a newly developed assay using the unspecific peptidic chromogenic substrate and the presence or absence of an antibody specifically inhibiting matriptase activity.
Results: The patients had slightly higher stimulated salivary flow rates compared to healthy controls. There was no unopposed matriptase activity in whole saliva samples from the patients and the healthy controls. However, the protease activity was lower in the patient samples, and particularly in samples from patients with ulcerative OLP, compared to samples from healthy controls.
Conclusions: Our preliminary results indicate that there is no unopposed matriptase activity present. There is a lower protease activity in samples from patients with OLP compared to healthy controls, particularly in samples from patients with ulcerative OLP. What part of this protease activity represents inhibited matriptase is currently being examined.