Lung matrix metalloproteinase-9 correlates with cigarette smoking and obstruction of airflow.
Cigarette smoking is the most important risk factor for obstruction of airflow in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) or an imbalance between MMPs and their inhibitors, the tissue inhibitors of MMP (TIMPs), is considered to play a role in the pathogenesis of COPD. We investigated whether the MMPs expression or the imbalance between MMPs and TIMP-1 is associated with the amount of cigarette smoking and the FEV1 value, in the lung parenchyma of 26 subjects (6 non-smokers and 20 cigarette smokers). First, we performed zymographic analysis to identify the profile of the MMPs, which revealed gelatinolytic bands mainly equivalent to MMP-9 in the smokers. We then measured, using enzyme immunoassay, the concentrations of MMP-9 and its inhibitor, TIMP-1. Correlation analysis revealed that both the MMP-9 concentrations and the molar ratios of MMP-9 to TIMP-1 (MMP-9/TIMP-1) were correlated with the amount of cigarette smoking. Furthermore, MMP-9 concentrations were inversely correlated with FEV1. In conclusion, this study shows that MMP-9 expression in human lung parenchyma is associated with cigarette smoking and also with the obstruction of airflow, suggesting that MMP-9 may play a role in the pathogenesis of the cigarette smoke-induced obstruction of airflow known as the characteristic of COPD.
Kang
Min Jong
MJ
Department of Internal Medicine, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Anyang, Korea.
Oh
Yeon-Mok
YM
Lee
Jae Cheol
JC
Kim
Dong Gyu
DG
Park
Myung Jae
MJ
Lee
Myung Goo
MG
Hyun
In Gyu
IG
Han
Sung Koo
SK
Shim
Young-Soo
YS
Jung
Ki-Suck
KS
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000201:enzymology*; D008297:Male; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000209:etiology*; D012123:Pulmonary Ventilation; D012907:Smoking; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D019715:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 / Q000378:metabolism
D019715:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9