title: The clinical significance of gelatinase B in gouty arthritis of the knee.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Clinically, gouty arthritis is associated with severe inflammation, such as pain, swelling and erythema of the joints. Gelatinase A and B (matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -9, MMP-2 and -9) participate in the degradation of the extracellular matrix (ECM) components in a variety of arthritis, especially in the inflammatory arthritis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined the levels of MMP-2 and -9 in 40 synovial fluids (SFs) from the knee joints of 24 patients with gouty arthritis and compared them with the clinical and laboratory variables of inflammation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Gelatin zymography revealed that not only activated MMP-2 levels but also proMMP-9 levels in SF from the knee joints of gouty arthritis were associated with the local arthritis activity scores (LAS) (p < 0.001) and correlated well with the neutrophil counts in SF as well (p < 0.001). A similar correlation between proMMP-9 levels and LAS was also found within the individual patients before and during treatment with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs; p < 0.001). ProMMP-2 appeared in all SFs irrespective of LAS and neutrophil counts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The analysis of MMP-9 in SF samples can reveal the inflammatory condition of the knee joints with gouty arthritis. Joint aspiration may decrease the amount of MMPs in SF to attack the ECM of joint whether it is normal or not.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, Chungtai Institute of Health Sciences and Technology, Taichung 406, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shu-Chen
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: Shun-Fa
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Ko-Huang
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lue
authors.forename: Yih-Shou
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.forename: Tang-Yan
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Hsiao
authors.forename: Ko-Hsiu
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015210:Arthritis, Gouty / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D017364:Collagenases / Q000378:metabolism; D004792:Enzyme Precursors / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology*; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D013582:Synovial Fluid / Q000201:enzymology
chemical_list: D004792:Enzyme Precursors; D017364:Collagenases; C120487:pro-matrix metalloproteinase 9; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9