Neutrophil proteolytic activation cascades: a possible mechanistic link between chronic periodontitis and coronary heart disease.

Cardiovascular diseases are chronic inflammatory diseases that affect a large segment of society. Coronary heart disease (CHD), the most common cardiovascular disease, progresses over several years and affects millions of people worldwide. Chronic infections may contribute to the systemic inflammation and enhance the risk for CHD.

The effect of prolonged systemic doxycycline therapy on serum tissue degrading proteinases in coronary bypass patients: a randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Objective: Serum matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-8, MMP-7) and their regulators may be associated with the risk of incident cardiovascular disease events. Doxycycline can be used as matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) inhibitor independent of its antimicrobial activity. We aimed to investigate serum inflammatory biomarkers during 4 months of doxycycline therapy in coronary bypass patients.

The association of serum neutrophil markers and acute coronary syndrome.

An association exists between chronic infection-induced inflammation, such as periodontitis, and acute coronary syndrome (ACS). We studied the association of serum neutrophil markers, myeloperoxidase (MPO), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-8, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1 concentrations and MMP-8/TIMP-1 ratio, with the risk of recurrent ACS. Radiographic periodontal status was recorded from 141 patients with acute non-Q-wave infarction or unstable angina pectoris, who participated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study with clarithromycin for 3 months.

Periodontopathogen- and host-derived immune response in acute coronary syndrome.

Owing to molecular mimicry, periodontal pathogen carriage may result in a systemic cross-reactive immune response with the host. The analyses were performed to investigate if serum antibody levels to human heat shock protein 60 (HSP60) are associated with the antibody levels and salivary carriage of two periodontal pathogens, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and Porphyromonas gingivalis, as well as with the dental status in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). ACS patients (n = 141) were monitored at baseline when entering to hospital, and after 1 week, 3 months and 1 year.