title: Specific matrix metalloproteinase expression in focal myositis: an immunopathological study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of our study was to investigate immunoexpression of matrix metalloproteinases MMP2, MMP7 and MMP9 in muscle specimens from patients with focal myositis (FM) vs polymyositis (PM) and dermatomyositis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied muscle biopsy samples from seven patients affected by FM; samples from five patients each with PM and dermatomyositis were studied as disease controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MMP2 immunoreactivity was present in PM and dermatomyositis, MMP7 only in PM, and MMP9 in PM, dermatomyositis and FM.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results confirm that increased MMP9 immunoreactivity in muscle fibres is a common feature of all inflammatory myopathies and suggest that MMP2 and MMP7 cannot be implicated in the inflammatory events of FM.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, Psychiatry and Anaesthesiology, University of Messina, Messina, Italy. crodolico@unime.it
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rodolico
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mazzeo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Toscano
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Messina
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aguennouz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gaeta
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Messina
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vita
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D003882:Dermatomyositis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D020783:Matrix Metalloproteinase 7 / Q000378:metabolism; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000378:metabolism; D020782:Matrix Metalloproteinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D018485:Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D020782:Matrix Metalloproteinases; D020783:Matrix Metalloproteinase 7; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9