title: Caspase activation is involved in chronic periodontitis.
abstract: Periodontitis, a common infectious disease, is initiated by various gram-negative bacteria and characterized by the destruction of the periodontal tissue. Here, we investigated the role of caspases, intracellular proteases that are the key mediators of apoptosis. We show that activation of caspase-3 and caspase-7 is considerably enhanced in gingival tissue from patients with periodontitis. We also demonstrate in in vitro experiments that various periodontopathic bacteria exert a direct growth-suppressing effect and, moreover, can trigger a host-mediated cytotoxic activity involving the CD95 death receptor. Our data suggest that caspase activation is a prominent feature in periodontitis-associated tissue injury.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Heike
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bantel
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Beikler
authors.forename: Thomas F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Flemmig
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schulze-Osthoff
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016976:Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans / Q000472:pathogenicity; D017209:Apoptosis; D053148:Caspase 3; D053179:Caspase 7; D020169:Caspases / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D016124:Eikenella corrodens / Q000472:pathogenicity; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D005260:Female; D005881:Gingiva / Q000201:enzymology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000382:microbiology; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases / Q000378:metabolism; D016966:Porphyromonas gingivalis / Q000472:pathogenicity; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D019014:fas Receptor; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases; C505407:CASP3 protein, human; C505520:CASP7 protein, human; D053148:Caspase 3; D053179:Caspase 7; D020169:Caspases