ObjectiveThe aim was to profile serum and salivary levels of active‐matrix metalloproteinase (aMMP)‐8, tissue inhibitor MMP (TIMP)‐1, aMMP‐8/TIMP‐1 ratio, total MMP (tMMP)‐9, tMMP‐9/TIMP‐1 ratio, myeloperoxidase (MPO), and human neutrophil elastase (HNE) in periodontitis and rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Materials and MethodsRheumatoid arthritis patients with periodontitis (RA + P, n = 26), periodontally healthy RA patients (RA, n = 23), systemically healthy periodontitis patients (P, n = 24), and controls (C, n = 24) were included. aMMP‐8 levels were determined by a time‐resolved immunofluorescence assay (IFMA), TIMP‐1, tMMP‐9, MPO, and HNE levels were measured by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent (ELISA) assays.ResultsHigher salivary aMMP‐8 (p < 0.001), aMMP‐8/TIMP‐1 ratio (p = 0.043), tMMP‐9 (p = 0.011), tMMP‐9/TIMP‐1 ratio (p = 0.022), MPO (p = 0.026) and HNE (p < 0.001) levels were detected in P relative to the controls. Salivary TIMP‐1 was increased in RA patients regardless of periodontal status (RA + P vs. P: p = 0.038; RA vs. C: p = 0.020). Serum neutrophil proteases were increased in RA groups (RA + P, RA) compared to systemically healthy groups (P, C) (p < 0.05).ConclusionsSerum levels of neutrophil proteases were increased in RA study groups; however rheumatologic status seemingly does not affect salivary levels of these proteins.