leupeptins and Dental-Plaque

To determine the levels of LL-37 in and its susceptibility to degradation by components of gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) in periodontal health and disease.. Levels of LL-37 in GCF from periodontitis patients and periodontally healthy subjects were determined by ELISA. In addition, degradation of synthetic/exogenous LL-37 by components of GCF in the presence and absence of inhibitors was determined by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry.. The concentration of native LL-37 in GCF from Porphyromonas gingivalis positive (Pg+) and P. gingivalis negative (Pg-) sites in periodontitis patients was significantly higher than in GCF from healthy subjects. When synthetic LL-37 was added to healthy GCF, the peptide was not degraded. Conversely, GCF from Pg+ sites rapidly degraded synthetic LL-37 which was prevented in the presence of Arg- and Lys- gingipain inhibitors. Synthetic LL-37 was degraded more slowly by GCF from Pg- sites.. LL-37 is detectable in GCF in periodontal health and disease. The rapid degradation of synthetic LL-37 in periodontitis GCF, particularly in Pg+ sites, limits its role as a potential therapeutic in the gingival crevice. These results highlight the need to design stable peptide mimetics of LL-37 as future therapeutics in periodontitis.

Topics: Adhesins, Bacterial; Adult; Aged; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; Cathelicidins; Cysteine Endopeptidases; Cysteine Proteases; Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors; Dental Plaque; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Gingipain Cysteine Endopeptidases; Gingival Crevicular Fluid; Humans; Leupeptins; Middle Aged; Peptide Fragments; Periodontitis; Periodontium; Porphyromonas gingivalis; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; Tosyllysine Chloromethyl Ketone