Dental Plaque Associates with MMP-9/TIMP-1 in Blood from Periodontitis Subjects

Objective: The aim was to study the influence of oral hygiene on MMP-9 and TIMP-1in blood from subjects who in a longitudinal study had developed chronic periodontitis. Methods: A group of 50 subjects were randomly selected in 2003 from 1390 periodontally healthy individuals initially examined in 1985. Clinical parameters were determined at the start and end of the study. At the time of the final oral examination, blood was collected after 12 hours of overnight fasting for the analysis of MMP-9 and TIMP-1. The relation between dental plaque, MMP-9 and TIMP-1 as dependent variables and several independent variables were evaluated in a multiple regression model. Results: Clinical examination 16 years after baseline revealed that 16 subjects had developed chronic periodontitis 31 were still periodontally healthy. Multiple logistic regression analyses identified PLI as a principal independent predictor in blood for MMP-9 as well as for TIMP-1 with OR, 6.54; p=0.013, CI 1.48 – 29.0 and OR 6.30, p=0.029, CI 1.20 – 33.0, respectively. Conclusion: Our results implicate that dental plaque associate with increased levels of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 in blood hence supporting the oral infection – systemic inflammation paradigm.