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Excessive matrix metalloproteinase-9 in the plasma of community-acquired pneumonia.

Yang SF, Chu SC, Chiang IC, Kuo WF, Chiou HL, Chou FP, Kuo WH, Hsieh YS

Institute of Biochemistry, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung 402, Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: It has been shown that matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) is involved in the pathogenesis of various pulmonary inflammatory diseases. We determined the MMP-9 concentration in the plasma of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) patients before and after antibiotic treatment. METHODS: Gelatin zymography and ELISA analysis were used to measure MMP-9 activity and MMP-9 level, respectively, in 35 control subjects and 46 CAP patients. RESULTS: WBC counts, neutrophils, MMP-9 activity and MMP-9 level were significantly higher in CAP patients compared with that of control subjects (P<0.001), while MMP-9 activity and MMP-9 level were returned to normal after the antibiotic treatment (P<0.001). In addition, MMP-9 level correlated positively with WBC counts and neutrophils number both before and after the antibiotic treatment. CONCLUSIONS: MMP-9 may play an important role in the pathogenesis of CAP with a positive correlation with the number of neutrophils.

Published 17 January 2005 in Clin Chim Acta, 352(1): 209-15.
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