Role of Cathepsin S in Periodontal Inflammation and Infection

Abstract EN

Cathepsin S is a cysteine protease and regulator of autophagy with possible involvement in periodontitis.

The objective of this study was to investigate whether cathepsin S is involved in the pathogenesis of periodontal diseases.

Human periodontal fibroblasts were cultured under inflammatory and infectious conditions elicited by interleukin-1β and Fusobacterium nucleatum, respectively.

An array-based approach was used to analyze differential expression of autophagy-associated genes.

Cathepsin S was upregulated most strongly and thus further studied in vitro at gene and protein levels.

In vivo, gingival tissue biopsies from rats with ligature-induced periodontitis and from periodontitis patients were also analyzed at transcriptional and protein levels.

Multiple gene expression changes due to interleukin-1β and F.

nucleatum were observed in vitro.

Both stimulants caused a significant cathepsin S upregulation.

A significantly elevated cathepsin S expression in gingival biopsies from rats with experimental periodontitis was found in vivo, as compared to that from control.

Gingival biopsies from periodontitis patients showed a significantly higher cathepsin S expression than those from healthy gingiva.

Our findings provide original evidence that cathepsin S is increased in periodontal cells and tissues under inflammatory and infectious conditions, suggesting a critical role of this autophagy-associated molecule in the pathogenesis of periodontitis.