The Passive/Active Smoking Effects of Gingival Neutrophil Activity in Periodontitis

Objective:

The relationship between periodontal degradation and smoking has been demonstrated by epidemiological evidence. However the mechanism of smoking is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of passive/active smoking on gingival neutrophil elastase activity, and the biochemical markers to periodontal degradation with active/passive smoking.

Methods:

68 subjects with chronic periodontitis were examined. Clinical registration of probing pocket depth, plaque index, gingival index and amount of gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) were made in each individual. From GCF, the elastase activity (free elastase and elastase-alpha2-macroglobulin complex) was measured using a chromogenic low molecular substrate, while elastase A1-antitrypsin complex (E-A1AT), A1AT and saliva cotinine levels were measured using ELISA.

Results:

The results were as follows:

1, With the gingival index, the smokers were showed significantly lower values (p<0.01) compared to the non smokers.

2, With the amount of saliva cotinine, 22 subjects were passive smokers, and 12 subjects were non-smokers from self-reported non-smokers.

3, There were no significant values on the elastase activity, the amount of A1AT and E-A1AT between the self-reported non-smokers and smokers.

4, With the elastase activity, the passive/active smokers were showed significantly lower values (p<0.05) compared to the non smokers.

5, There were no significant values on A1AT and E-A1AT between the non-smoker and passive/active smokers.

6, There was a weak correlation between the amount of saliva cotinine and A1AT concentration (p<0.05) in active smokers.

Conclusion:

These results indicated that passive/active smoking altered the gingival neutrophil elastase activity. And the alternation of amount of inhibitors in GCF was demonstrated one of biochemical marker on passive/active smoking.

This study was supported by a grant from Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Japan (No. 17592168).