Collagen breakdown by gingival collagenase and elastase

Summary The granule fraction of human polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMNs), the concentrated product of gingival washing from 2 human volunteers and the culture fluid of samples of human gingiva were incubated with neutral salt soluble collagen from rat skin and the patterns of collagen degradation were studied by SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Collagenase from human gingiva cleaved the collagen molecules in a fashion similar to that of the PMN granule fraction. Collagen was also attacked by elastase from human PMNs and, to a lesser extent, by elastase from the gingival washings.Supported by a grant of Swiss National Fund for Scientific Research No. 3.604.0.75.Acknowledgments. We thank Prof. M. Baggiolini, Wander S.A., Bern for his helpful advice. We are very grateful to Mrs I. Condacci and Miss E. Andersen for their skillful technical assistance.