title: Clinical significance of serum matrix metalloproteinase-13 levels in patients with localized scleroderma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the clinical significance of serum matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13) levels in patients with localized scleroderma (LSc).
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum MMP-13 levels were determined by using a peptide substrate cleavage assay in 10 patients with generalized morphea, 10 with linear scleroderma, 10 with morphea, and 10 normal controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The serum MMP-13 levels in patients with LSc were lower than those in normal controls, but there was no significant difference (64.9 +/- 19.9 versus 73.2 +/- 11.5, p = 0.058). Serum MMP-13 levels in patients with generalized morphea were significantly lower than those in normal controls (54.0 +/- 18.7 versus 73.2 +/- 11.5 ng/ml; p < 0.01). Serum levels of MMP-13 were comparable among normal controls, the patients with linear scleroderma, and those with morphea. The prevalence of muscle involvement was significantly greater in the LSc patients with decreased MMP-13 levels compared with those with normal MMP-13 levels (50% versus 8%, p < 0.05). Serum MMP-13 levels were significantly inversely correlated with the number of linear lesions (r = 0.366, p < 0.05) and the number of involved body areas (r = 0.552, p < 0.005) in patients with LSc, while there was no significant correlation between serum MMP-13 levels and the number of plaque lesions. Furthermore, there was significant inverse correlation between serum MMP-13 levels and the number of involved body areas in patients with generalized morphea (r = 0.631, p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The serum MMP-13 levels may reflect the disease severity in patients with LSc, especially generalized morphea, the severest form of this disorder.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Asano
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ihn
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kubo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jinnin
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mimura
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ashida
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tamaki
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D053509:Matrix Metalloproteinase 13 / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D012594:Scleroderma, Localized / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D053509:Matrix Metalloproteinase 13