[Periodontitis is one of the most commonly occurring inflammatory diseases]. / Marginal parodontitis er en af de almindeligste inflammatoriske sygdomme.

Periodontitis is a common inflammatory disease characterized by breakdown of the structure supporting the tooth. The disease, which is caused by bacteria colonizing the root surface, occurs with a marked difference in individual susceptibility and presents as chronic and aggressive forms of the disease. A number of medical disorders act as predisposing factors, and periodontitis may influence the course of some diseases, including coronary heart disease and diabetes.

Oral infections and systemic diseases.

An association between periodontal infection and CVD has been revealed in some epidemiologic studies, whereas other studies were unable to demonstrate such an association. A link between the two diseases may be explained by shared established or nonestablished risk factors. Future studies with extended control of confounding factors and intervention studies may add to the understanding of a possible relationship between the diseases. In some cases, IE is caused by dental plaque bacteria. Several studies are suggestive of oral bacteria causing respiratory infection. The pathogenesis and course of a number of other diseases including DM and rheumatoid arthritis have been associated wish periodontitis, but more research is necessary to elucidate possible pathogenic interactions.

Matrix metalloproteinases.

Matrix metalloproteinases are a class of enzymes that play an important role in the remodeling of the extracellular matrix in development and cancer metastasis. This unit describes a set of methods-cell-mediated dissolution of type I collagen fibrils, direct and reverse zymography, enzyme capture based on a-2 macroglubulin and TIMP-1 and -2, and demonstration of crytic thiol groups in metalloproteinase precursors-that are used to characterize the functions of matrix metalloproteinases and their inhibitors.