Distribution of Metallothionein in Cigarette Smokers and Non‐Smokers in Advanced Periodontitis Patients

Abstract

This study evaluated the effect of smoking on periodontal tissue in periodontal patients. Gingival biopsies were taken from the flap during periodontal surgery of 33 male patients with advanced periodontal disease (22 cigarette smokers; 11 non-smokers). Frozen sections were made immediately and used for hematoxylin-eosin and Giemsa staining, and for detection of metallothionein (MT), a free radical scavenger. The expression and distribution of MT in these sections was studied using monoclonal antibody and immunohistochemical staining. The smokers had a large number of infiltrate cells in the gingival epithelium compared with non-smokers. Moreover, samples from the smokers showed high levels of MT in the prickle cell layer of the epithelium. In the non-smokers, basal and prickle cell layers of the gingival epithelium also showed detectable MT. Smokers, however, had a higher metallothionein-positive cell ratio in the prickle cell layer as compared to non-smokers. This increased level of MT in smokers may reflect an attempt to defend against free radicals in the gingiva of smokers. These results suggest that inflammation is much greater in periodontal tissues of cigarette smoking periodontal patients than in non-smoking periodontal patients, and that the defense against free radicals is heightened in smokers' gingiva.

The up‐regulation of heme oxygenase‐1 expression in human gingival fibroblasts stimulated with nicotine

“…These data suggest that oxidative stress due to cigarette smoking may increase tissue expressing HO‐1. Consistently, the recent detection of high levels of metallothionein in the gingiva of smokers with advanced periodontitis would indicate an attempt to defend against free radicals in the gingiva of smokers (32). Taken together, the strong expression of the antioxidant proteins may generally reflect the pro‐oxidative quality of cigarette smoking‐associated periodontal disease.…”

Mechanisms of cytotoxicity of nicotine in human periodontal ligament fibroblast cultures in vitro

“…Thus, increasing dietary intake of GSH‐rich foods or dietary supplements of GSH may have chemopreventive potential to reduce cigarette smoking‐associated periodontal disease. Consistently, the recent detection of high levels of metallothionein in the gingiva of smokers with advanced periodontitis would indicate an attempt to defend against free radicals in the gingiva of smokers (43). Therefore, development of agents that induce the cellular synthesis of GSH level might be useful for chemoprevention of cigarette smoking‐related periodontal disease.…”

Metallothionein in the radicular, dentigerous, orthokeratinized odontogenic cysts and in keratocystic odontogenic tumor

“…Four isoforms can be identified: MT‐I and MT‐II isoforms are similar and can be observed in many tissues, such as the oral epithelium; MT‐III is found mainly in the central nervous system; and MT‐IV is expressed in differentiated cells of stratified squamous epithelium (10, 11). In the oral cavity, the simultaneous immunoexpression of MT‐I and MT‐II (MTI+II), evaluated by the E9 antibody, was performed on oral malignant (12, 13) and premalignant lesions (14), periodontitis (15), and amalgam tattoos (16). Considering the differences between the odontogenic cysts and KOT concerning their histopathological features, clinical behavior, proliferative activity, genetic profile (i.e.…”