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MMPs Source in Periodontitis — MFDS Part 1 MCQ

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ModeratePhysiologyMMPs Source in PeriodontitisMFDS Part 1

Gingival crevicular fluid from an active periodontitis lesion contains increased collagenase and gelatinase activity, including MMP-8 and MMP-9. Which option best describes the dominant cellular origin of this matrix metalloproteinase activity?

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Correct answer: E — Activated neutrophils, with additional production by periodontal fibroblasts

The best answer is E. Periodontal tissue breakdown is principally host mediated. Activated neutrophils are the dominant source of MMP-8 and an important source of MMP-9 in gingival crevicular fluid; periodontal fibroblasts also produce MMPs, including collagenases, following inflammatory stimulation. Periodontal bacteria initiate and dysregulate this response, but bacterial proteases such as gingipains are not host matrix metalloproteinases, so B is incorrect. Osteoblast-lineage and epithelial cells may express selected MMPs, but neither is the exclusive or dominant source of the crevicular MMP activity described, excluding C and D. Erythrocytes and platelets are not significant sources of the collagen-degrading MMP profile characteristic of periodontitis.

Reference: Atanasova T, Stankova T, Bivolarska A, Vlaykova T. Matrix Metalloproteinases in Oral Health—Special Attention on MMP-8, Figure 1. Biomedicines. 2023;11:1514. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37371608/