Study On The Expression And Significance Of MMP-9, TIMP-1 In Systemic Scleroderma

Objective: systemic scleroderma(SSc)is an autoimmune disorder in which excessive extracellular matrix is deposited in skin and internal organs. One of the major hallmarks of the disease is an increased amount of collagen deposits in the affected tissue. The matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a family of extracellular endopeptidases that selectively degrade the components of various extracellular matrixes. Their activity is regulated by their inhibitor, Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases(TIMPs). The amount of ECM is dependent on the balance between the production and the degradation of ECM by MMPs and TIMPs. Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and its inhibitor, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1(TIMP-1) are involved in tissue inflammation and fibrotic processes. So we measured the expression of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 in systemic scleroderma and explored significance of the expression.Methods: Skin samples from patients with SSc (n=21),LSc (n=21) and normal controls(n=10) were measured using Immunohistochemistry SP technique for the expression of MMP-9 and TIMP-1. The results were detected by HPIAS-1000 analytical system.We detected the intensity of MMP-9 and TIMP-1. The comparison of two controls adopted t-test. They were completed by the SPSS11.0 software .Result: 1,Among the 10 examples of normal controls, MMP-9 expressed 3 strong positive result, 4 positive result and the remaining were weak positive result in the base layer; In the spinous layer,1 expressed positive result, 6 expressed weak positive result; In the granular layer, two expressed weak positive result,and the remaining were negative.Among the 21 examples of LSc, MMP-9 expressed 6 strong positive result, 13 positive result and 2 weak positive result in the base layer;In the spinous layer,11 expressed weak positive result and 10 expressed negative result;Among the 21 examples of SSc, MMP-9 expressed 3 strong positive result, 11 positive result and 7 weak positive result in the base layer;In the spinous layer,1 expressed positive result, 4 expressed weak positive result. The two controls were compared by t-test, and we found the intensity of MMP-9 in SSc were lower than those of controls and had significant difference (P<0.05), the intensity of MMP-9 in LSc were also lower than those of controls but did not have significant difference (P>0.05).2,Among the 10 examples of normal controls, TIMP-1 expressed 1 strong positive result,2 positive result and 5 weak positive result in the base layer; In the spinous layer,1 expressed strong positive result,2 expressed weak positive result; And remaining were negative.Among the 21 examples of LSc, TIMP-1 expressed 19 strong positive result, 2 positive result in the base layer;In the spinous layer,2 expressed weak positive result and 19 expressed negative result;Among the 21 examples of SSc, TIMP-1 expressed 19 strong positive result,2 positive result in the base layer;In the spinous layer,6 expressed weak positive result, And remaining were negative. The expression of TIMP-1 in SSc andLS were significant higher than that of nomal control and had significant difference between every two groups (P<0.05)。Conclusion: The MMP-9 and TIMP-1 expression is closely associated with SSc patients,which may play an important role in SSc.