title: Gingival crevicular fluid MMP-8-concentrations in patients after acute myocardial infarction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to determine the presence of matrix metalloproteinase-8 in the gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) of patients after acute myocardial infarction (AMI).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 48 GCF samples from 20 AMI patients, hospitalized at the Department of Cardiology and Angiology of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, were investigated. Besides the myocardial infarction all patients suffered from chronic periodontal disease. Fifty-one GCF samples from 20 healthy age matched individuals with similar periodontal conditions served as controls. The dental examination included the assessment of oral hygiene, gingival inflammation, probing pocket depth, clinical attachment level and X-ray examination. The study was only carried out after the positive consent of the regional ethic commission. A quantitative assessment of aMMP-8 levels in the gingival crevicular fluid was performed with the help of the DentoAnalyzer (Dentognostics GmbH, Jena, Germany), utilising an immunological procedure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The aMMP-8 concentrations found in the gingival crevicular fluid of the AMI patients significantly differed (p = 0.001; mean value 30.33 ± 41.99 ng/ml aMMP-8) from the control group (mean value 10.0 ± 10.7 ng/ml aMMP-8). These findings suggest that periodontal inflammation in AMI patients might be associated with higher MMP-8-values compared to the healthy controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The acute myocardial infarction seems to influence the degree of periodontal inflammation, thus the measurement of the gingival crevicular fluid MMP8 levels seems to be a helpful biochemical test to obtain information about the severity of the periodontal disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Operative Dentistry, University Medical Centre of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany. vicky.ehlers@unimedizin-mainz.de
authors.forename: Vicky
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ehlers
authors.forename: Ines
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Willershausen
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kraft
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Münzel
authors.forename: Brita
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Willershausen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005883:Gingival Crevicular Fluid / Q000201:enzymology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020784:Matrix Metalloproteinase 8 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications / Q000201:enzymology*; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000201:enzymology / Q000209:etiology; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D020784:Matrix Metalloproteinase 8