title: Elevated serum levels of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) in Kawasaki disease.
abstract: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play an important role in the progression of tumour cells and the invasion of inflammatory cells by degrading the extracellular matrix. In the MMP family, MMP-9 gelatinase is thought to contribute to the pathogenesis of inflammatory arteritis by disrupting the elastic lamina. The aim of the present study is to investigate the potential role of MMP-9 in Kawasaki disease (KD), an acute type of systemic vasculitis in children. We studied the total levels of MMP-9 (free proMMP-9 and free MMP-9) in the sera using a new assay system and the expression of MMP-9 mRNA in the leucocytes using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction in 18 patients with KD, 10 patients with sepsis and 10 healthy children (HC). The serum MMP-9 levels were significantly higher (P < 0.01) in the acute phase of KD than in the acute phase of sepsis and HC. In the time course of KD, the serum MMP-9 levels decreased significantly (P < 0.01) from the subacute through the convalescent phases. In the acute phase of KD, the serum MMP-9 levels showed a significantly positive correlation (P < 0.05) with the circulating leucocyte counts, especially the neutrophil counts. Furthermore, the expression of MMP-9 mRNA in the circulating leucocytes increased in the acute phase of KD and decreased from the subacute through the convalescent phases. These findings indicate that an excessive amount of MMP-9 is present in the plasma during the acute phase of KD, thus suggesting that circulating leucocytes may be a source of the MMP-9 secreted into the circulation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, National Defense Medical College, Tokorozawa, Saitama 359-8513, Japan. peditake@me.ndmc.ac.jp
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takeshita
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tokutomi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kawase
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakatani
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tsujimoto
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawamura
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sekine
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007700:Kinetics; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000201:enzymology; D008297:Male; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D009080:Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018805:Sepsis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9