Expression of metalloproteinase-2 (gelatinase A) in labial salivary glands of patients with Sjögren's syndrome with HTLV-I infection.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether gelatinase A (MMP-2) plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of Sjögren's syndrome (SS) with or without HTLV-I infection.


METHODS
We examined 24 patients with SS (14 HTLV-I-seropositive and 8 HTLV-I-seronegative). Labial salivary gland tissue samples were analysed immunohistochemically using anti-MMP-2 monoclonal antibodies.


RESULTS
In normal salivary glands, MMP-2 expression was not detected. All biopsy samples of 8 SS patients with HTLV-I-associated myelopathy (HAM) and 3 of 6 HTLV-I-seropositive SS patients without manifestation of HAM stained positively for MMP-2. However, the other samples were negative for MMP-2.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study showed the MMP-2 expression in labial salivary glands of HTLV-I seropositive SS patients, especially in all SS patients with HAM. The presence of MMP-2 in the salivary glands of these patients suggests that it may play a role in cellular infiltration and destruction in salivary glands of SS.
Tominaga
M
M
First Department of Internal Medicine, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, Japan.
Migita
K
K
Nakamura
H
H
Ichinose
Y
Y
Furuya
T
T
Origuchi
T
T
Kawabe
Y
Y
Hida
A
A
Nakamura
T
T
Eguchi
K
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001706:Biopsy; D005260:Female; D018093:Gelatinases / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1; D006801:Humans; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015493:Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D012470:Salivary Glands, Minor / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D018093:Gelatinases; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2