Pro-MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio correlates poorly with a direct assessment of MMP-9 activity.
OBJECTIVE
To determine if the pro-MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio is an accurate surrogate for endogenously active MMP-9 levels.


METHODS
Plasma active MMP-9, pro-MMP-9 and TIMP-1 were measured in 295 patients.


RESULTS
There was a weak negative correlation between the pro-MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio and active MMP-9. TIMP-1 was more closely correlated with active MMP-9 than pro-MMP-9.


CONCLUSIONS
Pro-MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio measured with ELISA is not a good surrogate measure for active MMP-9, and direct measurements of active MMP-9 are therefore recommended.
Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
G P
GP
Tarr
M J A
MJ
Williams
L V
LV
Phillips
A M
AM
van Rij
G T
GT
Jones
D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000201:enzymology; D004792:Enzyme Precursors / Q000097:blood*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D019715:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 / Q000097:blood*
D015415:Biomarkers; D004792:Enzyme Precursors; C560822:TIMP1 protein, human; D019715:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1; C120487:pro-matrix metalloproteinase 9; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9