Search

A novel immunology-based point-of-care test has been designed to assess the activated form of matrix metalloproteinase-8 (aMMP-8) for diagnosis and monitoring of periodontal diseases. The test has been automated using an analyzer, which quantitatively measures aMMP-8 in 18 min in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF). Fluid samples were collected from healthy, gingivitis-, and periodontitis-affected teeth. The test results from the analyzer were compared with quantitative aMMP-8 immunofluorometric assay (IFMA) and in-house enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) as well as with the periodontal state. Preliminary results of analyzer measurements of these 34 clinical samples showed a good agreement with the results from IFMA and in-house ELISA and with the clinical picture.

In a first pilot field study 64 gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) samples were collected from patients of dental practitioners. The dentists (one orthodontist one periodontist, and one general practitioner) were asked to monitor the respective clinical status of the sites of sampling and to collect, if possible, sulcus fluid samples from healthy as well as affected sites from the same patient. The concentration of activated matrix metalloproteinase-8 (aMMP-8) in the GCF was recorded using a set of monoclonal antibodies and a novel DentoAnalyzer. From all three dental offices the distribution of the aMMP-8 values in GCF showed a congruent pattern, where healthy and periodontitis-affected inflamed sites were clearly disparate.