Collagenase Activity of Gingival Tissue from Patients with Periodontal Diseases.

Abstract

Collagenase activity was demonstrated by lysis of precipitated collagen gel. Such collagenase activity was found to occur in both viable gingival explants (14 of 41 cases) and in frozen and thawed specimens (14 of 46 cases). This collagenase activity appeared to be associated with the presence of inflammatory foci and the accumulation of gamma globulin in the tissue specimens in most of the cases examined. Scrapings of teeth adjacent to excised gingivae failed to yield lytic activity on collagen gel. On the basis of these findings, it is concluded that the observed collagenolytic activity is produced either by: 1) the inflamed gingival tissue itself, 2) the gingival tissue in response to microbial or other exogenous stimuli or 3) tissue plus microbial collagenases.