MMP8 and periodontitis: However, if latent MMP‐8 was activated with a protease (dentilisin), a more versatile set of different‐sized species can be observed in the range from 40 to 60 kDa (indicated as aMMP‐8) and from 25 to 35 kDa (fragments) (Figure 1a, lanes 8–10) corresponding with the biological/in vivo oral rinse samples (Figure 1b, lanes 2–5) of periodontitis patients.