RESUMO
To study the role of the proteolytic enzymes [collagenase and elastase], in facilitating and aggravating gin gival infiltration by leukemic cells in acute leukemic patients, 10 non-treated acute lymphoblastic leukemia [ALL], 10 non-treated acute non-lymphoblastic leukemia [ANLL] patients and 10 comparable healthy controls with no evidence of periodontal disease were studied regarding clinical dental examination [plaque index [PI], gingival index [GI], probing pocket depth [PPD] and gingival overgrowth index [GOI], gingival crevicular fluid sampling and biochemical study [Latent and free collagenase and elastase enzyme activities]. The results showed no significant differences in PI of both ALL and ANLL patients as compared to the controls and while they showed a significant increase in GI, PPD, GOI, collagenase activity [free and latent] and elastase activity in both ALL and ANLL as compared to the controls and when compared to each other. It was concluded that: detectable increase in gingival inflammation, pocket depth and gingival hyperplasia being a common oral finding in acute leukemic patients and high collagenase and elastase activities in acute leukemia suggest a significant role for these enzymes in generating paths for the leukemic cells infiltration into oral tissues, then, periodontal destruction leading to the release of these proteolytic enzymes resulting in more periodontal destruction