Comparison of ADAMTS Levels in Pulp Tissue Samples of Healthy and Symptomatic Irreversible Pulpitis Teeth

The aim of this study was to compare the levels of different A disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs (ADAMTS; ie, ADAMTS-1, -4, and -9]) related to the breakdown of the proteoglycans and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 3 (TIMP-3) levels that inhibit ADAMTS in the extracellular matrix of healthy pulp and symptomatic irreversible pulpitis.

Pulp tissue samples diagnosed with healthy and symptomatic irreversible pulpitis were collected from 48 participants. Healthy and inflamed pulps were directly transferred to Eppendorf tubes (Labosel, Istanbul, Turkey) and stored at -80°C (Nüve-DF490; Nüve, Ankara, Turkey) until further use. Routine root canal treatment procedures for the teeth were performed, after which the treatment process was completed. The levels of ADAMTS-1, -4, and -9 and TIMP-3 were measured in supernatants of human dental pulp tissue extracts using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits (USCN, Wuhan, China). The independent sample t test and 1-way analysis of variance were used for parametric data, and the Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests were used for nonparametric data.

There was a statistically significant difference between ADAMTS-1 and -9 and TIMP-3 levels of the healthy pulp and pulpitis groups (P < .05), but there was no significant difference for ADAMTS-4 levels (P > .05). It was found that the levels of ADAMTS-1 and -9 were higher in the pulpitis group compared with the healthy pulp group, whereas the TIMP-3 level decreased (P < .05).

As a result of this study, it was concluded that ADAMTS-1 and -9 and TIMP-3 might have a role in pulpal inflammation, whereas ADAMTS-4 was not related to pulpal inflammation.