title: Clinical evaluation of serum tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 levels in patients with liver diseases.
abstract: Serum levels of the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) were measured in 268 patients with liver diseases by means of a one-step sandwich enzyme immunoassay. In the cases of acute hepatitis, chronic active hepatitis (CAH), liver cirrhosis (LC) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the levels of TIMP-1 were higher than those of the control group. Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 levels correlated with type III procollagen peptide and with type IV collagen, indicating TIMP-1 as a useful marker for hepatic fibrosis. Levels of TIMP-1 also correlated with aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase levels and showed the highest levels in acute hepatitis. Thus, TIMP-1 might also reflect hepatic inflammation. Serum levels of alpha-fetoprotein and TIMP-1 had a significant positive correlation in patients with HCC. A cut-off level of TIMP-1 between LC and HCC was set at 440 ng/mL, having a low sensitivity and a high specificity. These results suggest the usefulness of TIMP-1 as a tumour marker in cases of HCC where alpha-fetoprotein levels are not elevated.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Internal Medicine, Nagoya University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Muzzillo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Imoto
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fukuda
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Koyama
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saga
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nagai
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hayakawa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000097:blood*; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D061965:Matrix Metalloproteinase Inhibitors; D008875:Middle Aged; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D019714:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinases
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D006023:Glycoproteins; D061965:Matrix Metalloproteinase Inhibitors; D019714:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinases