Pulmonary matrix metalloproteinase excess in XXXX .

@entity1 @entity5952 @entity1495 @entity55
In @entity55 , extracellular matrix destruction is common and may be caused by excessive activity of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Thirty @entity1 with @entity55 and 16 control subjects were studied. We evaluated the concentrations of @entity5952 , @entity1495 , and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 in mini-bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (mini-BALF) and blood using zymography and specific immunoassays. In @entity1 with @entity55 concentrations of @entity5952 and @entity1495 in mini-BALF were increased 10-fold, whereas their specific inhibitor tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 was not concomitantly increased. In 80% of @entity1 with @entity55 , but in none of the control subjects, the active form of @entity1495 was detected by zymography. Zymography furthermore showed the banding pattern of neutrophil-derived @entity1495 , indicating that neutrophils were the main source of @entity1495 . Comparison of neutrophils from blood and mini-BALF showed higher basal release of MMPs by pulmonary neutrophils. Stimulation analysis indicated that pulmonary neutrophils were already maximally activated. In @entity1 with detection of potentially pathogenic microorganisms, concentrations of MMPs were fivefold increased compared with @entity1 with negative cultures. Furthermore, MMP-levels were related to clinical severity. These are the first data suggesting that neutrophil-derived MMPs are increased in @entity55 in association to the detection of causative microorganisms and clinical severity.
