Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Gazi Medical Journal, cilt.19, sa.4, ss.157-162, 2008 (Scopus)
Purpose: To determine the association between the expression patterns of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and extent of fibrosis and inflammation in chronic viral hepatitis. Materials and Methods: We examined the expression and localization of NIMP-2 and MMP-9 and correlated the data with their main inhibitors, tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMP-1 and TIMP-2), in 67 chronic viral hepatitis patients. Immunohistochemistry was performed for MMPs and TIMPs in liver biopsies of 5 normal controls, 27 patients with chronic hepatitis B, and 40 patients with chronic hepatitis C. Results: In viral hepatitis, MMP-9 expression in hepatocytes was very small (3%), whereas MMP-2 was expressed in hepatocytes and in some spindle cells in the portal tracts in 43% of the cases. Variable degrees of staining were observed in hepatocytes, sinusoidal cells, and spindle cells in the portal tract for TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 (12% and 21%, respectively). Only TIMP-1 expression correlated with the expression of MMP-2 (p-0.01). On the other hand, neither MMP-2 and NINIP-9 nor TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 expressions showed any correlation with the extent ofinflarannation and fibrosis. Conclusion: Our findings showed that alterations in the expression patterns of MMP-2, MMP-9, TIMP-1, and TIMP-2 in the samples of viral hepatitis do not explain the changes in serum concentrations and do not mirror the progression of the disease. Thus, it is still unclear whether their circulating levels are liver specific.