The purposes of this study were to compare and quantify the expression of Stromelysin-1 and MT-MMP-1 in the gingival tissues of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(DM) and healthy adults with chronic periodontitis.

Gingival tissue samples were obtained during periodontal surgery or tooth extraction. According to the patient's systemic condition & clinical criteria of gingiva, each gingival sample was devided into three groups. Group 1 (n=8) is clinically healthy gingiva without bleeding and no evidence of bone resorption or periodontal pockets, obtained from systemically healthy 8 patients. Group 2 (n=8) is inflammed gingiva from patients with chronic periodontitis. Group 3 (n=8) is inflammed gingiva from patients with chronic periodontitis associated with type 2 DM. Tissue samples were prepared and analyzed by Western blotting. The quantification of Stromelysin-1 and MT-MMP-1 were performed using a densitometer and statistically analyzed by one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey test.

In the analysis of expression levels, Stromelysin-1 and MT-MMP-1 expressions were similar in group 1 and 2. Stromelysin-1 and MT-MMP-1 expressions was more increased in group 3 than group 1, 2. The difference between group 3 and group 1, 2 was statistically significant. Also, in the interrelationship of Stromelysin-1 and MT-MMP-1 expressions, expressions of Stromelysin-1 and MT-MMP-1 showed increasing tendency in chronic periodontitis associated with type 2 DM and it seems that the MT-MMP-1 expressions were increasing in proportion to Stromelysin-1 expressions.

It is suggested that Stromelysin-1 and MT-MMP-1 may be partly involved in the progression of periodontal inflammation associated with type 2 DM, as related to a metabolism of other factors, such as AGE, plasmin and other inflammatory mediators. Therefore, the expression levels of Stromelysin-1 and MT-MMP-1 can be inflammatory markers of periodontal inflammed tissue with type 2 DM.