Evaluation of the role of age in MMP 9 and MMP 2 levels in pulpal blood of teeth with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis.

AIM: To assess MMP 2 and MMP 9 levels in pulpal blood of human molar teeth with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis in 2 different age groups.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Patients of two age groups young [18-40] and old [>60] with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis in molars were included in this study. Teeth were isolated using a rubber dam. The rubber dam, clamp, and tooth were decontaminated using a cotton swab drenched in 1 % NaOCl solution. Access cavities were then prepared using a diamond-coated bur in a contrangle handpiece under water-cooling. Subsequently, the caries was excavated using a sterile round bur. Pulpal blood was collected from the pulp chamber by placing the blunt end of a sterile inverted 60 size paper point for 1 min. The paper point was transferred into a sterile microcentrifugation tube and frozen at -20 °C immediately until further processing. The levels of MMP-9 and MMP-2 in these samples were measured using commercially available specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. Data was analysed using an independent t-test.

RESULTS

The mean pulpal blood levels of MMP-9 in patients above 60 years (220 ng/ml) were significantly lower than those aged 18-40 years (468 ng/ml) ([p value < 0.05]The mean pulpal blood levels of MMP-2 in patients above 60 years (134 ng/ml) were significantly lower than in those aged 18-40 years (153 ng/ml [p value < 0.05].

CONCLUSION

MMP-9 and MMP-2 levels in pulpal blood of cariously exposed teeth with irreversible pulpitis can vary with age.