Active matrix metalloproteinase-8 (aMMP-8) point-of-care test (POCT) in the COVID-19 pandemic

Sorsa, Timo; Sahni, Vaibhav; Buduneli, Nurcan; Gupta, Shipra; Räisänen, Ismo T.; Golub, Lorne M.; Lee, Hsi-Ming; Pätilä, Tommi; Bostanci, Nagihan; Meurman, Jukka; Pärnänen, Pirjo; Nwhator, Solomon O.; Singla, Mohita; Gauba, Krishan

INTRODUCTION: Active matrix metalloproteinase (aMMP)-8 utilized in point-of-care testing (POCT) is regarded as a potential biomarker for periodontal and peri-implant diseases. Various host and microbial factors eventually influence the expression, degranulation, levels and activation of aMMP-8. The type of oral fluids (saliva, mouthrinse, gingival crevicular, and peri-implant sulcular fluids [GCF/PISF], respectively) affect the analysis. AREAS COVERED: With this background, we aimed to review here the recent studies on practical, inexpensive, noninvasive and quantitative mouthrinse and GCF/PISF chair-side POCT lateral flow aMMP-8 immunoassays (PerioSafe and ImplantSafe/ORALyzer) and how they help to detect, predict, monitor the course, treatment and prevention of periodontitis and peri-implantitis. The correlations of aMMP-8 POCT to other independent and catalytic activity assays of MMP-8 are also addressed. EXPERT OPINION: The mouthrinse aMMP-8 POCT can also detect prediabetes/diabetes and tissue destructive oral side-effects due to the head and neck cancers’ radiotherapy. Chlorhexidine and doxycycline can inhibit collagenolytic human neutrophil and GCF aMMP-8. Furthermore, by a set of case-series we demonstrate the potential of mouthrinse aMMP-8 POCT to real-time/online detect periodontitis as a potential risk disease for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The clinical interdisciplinary utilization of aMMP-8 POCT requires additional oral, medical, and interdisciplinary studies.