Active matrix metalloproteinase‐8 and periodontal bacteria—interlink between periodontitis and inflammatory bowel disease?

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was the investigation of concentration and prevalence of selected periodontal pathogenic bacteria and concentration of active matrix metalloproteinase-8 (aMMP-8) within a group of patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and to compare the results with a group of healthy control subjects (HC). METHODS: Fifty-nine IBD patients with Crohn`s disease (CD, n = 30) or ulcerative colitis (UC, n = 29) and 59 HC were included in this cross-sectional study. Based on periodontal probing depth (PD) and clinical attachment level (CAL), periodontitis was classified as healthy/mild, moderate, or severe. aMMP-8 was analyzed from gingival crevicular fluid using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Eleven selected periodontal pathogenic bacteria were analyzed in subgingival plaque samples using polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: IBD patients showed higher CAL (P < 0.01), more severe periodontitis (P = 0.04), gingival bleeding (P < 0.01) and aMMP-8 concentration (P < 0.01) than HC. Only in CD, increasing severity of periodontitis was associated with an increase in aMMP-8 concentration (P = 0.02). The prevalences of Eubacterium nodatum and Eikenella corrodens were significantly lower in IBD compared to HC (P = 0.01). Additionally, the prevalence of Eikenella corrodens was significantly higher in CD compared to the UC group (P = 0.04). Further statistically significant differences in selected bacteria between IBD and HC or CD and UC groups could not be found (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The results reveal changes in host immune response of IBD patients in terms of aMMP-8. Only in CD increasing aMMP-8 was associated with severity of periodontal disease. The role of periodontal pathogenic bacteria in the interrelationship between IBD and periodontitis remains unclear.