title: Serum levels of tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase 2 in patients with systemic sclerosis with duration more than 2 years: correlation with cardiac and pulmonary abnormalities.
abstract: In this study, we measured the serum concentration of TIMP-2 in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and explored its possible correlation with cardiac and pulmonary lesions. We studied 42 patients with SSc, with duration equal to or more than 2 years. CT chest, ECG, echocardiography, and serum TIMP-2 concentration measurement using ELISA technique were performed in all patients and in 25 normal controls. The mean serum levels of TIMP-2 in patients was higher than in controls (P = .005). The mean CT score of dSSc patients with elevated TIMP-2 levels was significantly higher than dSSc patients with normal levels (P = .013). Four patients out of five with elevated TIMP-2 levels showed diastolic dysfunction (80%), compared to 2 out of 15 lSSc patients with normal levels (13.3%), with P = .014. Our research, though involving a small group of patients, points to the probable role of TIMP-2 in the development of pulmonary lesions in dSSc patients and cardiac lesions in lSSc patients with duration equal to or more than 2 years.
authors: Rheumatology and Rehabilitation Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt.
authors: Amira
authors: A
authors: Shahin
authors: Amani
authors: A
authors: Elsawaf
authors: Shahira
authors: S
authors: Ramadan
authors: Olfat
authors: O
authors: Shaker
authors: Mona
authors: M
authors: Amin
authors: Mohamed
authors: M
authors: Taha
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D013997:Time Factors; D019716:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-2 / Q000097:blood*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D019716:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-2