title: Modulation of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in Churg-Strauss syndrome respiratory mucosa: potential monitoring parameters.
abstract: Churg-Strauss (CSS) syndrome is rare and of unknown etiology. It is associated with vasculitis, blood eosinophilia and granulomatosis, and affects multiple organs and systems at various stages of the disease. Specific diagnostic and monitoring tests are not yet available. This study aims to assess the changes in MMP-2 and MMP-9 along with the histopathological alterations in two cases of CSS, as possible potential diagnostic and monitoring criteria. Two adult male patients were diagnosed with CSS in the otorhinolaryngology clinic in the University of Palermo, based on multiple clinical and histopathologic criteria. Biopsies of respiratory mucosa were taken after the consent of the patients, processed for routine histopathology and immunohistochemistry as well as quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Similar biopsies were also taken from a non- CSS patient. The Assessment of MMP-2 and MMP-9 was performed using both immunohistochemistry and qPCR techniques. Histopathological alterations in the respiratory mucosa were consistent with vasculitis and granulomatous tissue formation, in addition to inflammatory cell infiltration with abundance of eosinophils. Immunohistochemistry assay performed on the samples derived from the two CSS patients showed a relative and remarkable increase of both MMP-2 and MMP-9 compared to controls. Such an increase was consistent with the qPCR results which depicted a significant increase between 20 and 30&#x0025; for both MMP-2 and MMP-9, respectively. Since the secretion of MMPs is an essential step in angiogenesis, could these enzymatic factors be used as parameters to diagnose or monitor the evolution of CSS? The small number of samples analyzed in this study does not allow us to suggest a general statement correlating the increase in expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 to the appearance or evolution of vasculitis; it is only speculative.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biomedicina Sperimentale e Neuroscienze Cliniche, Sezione di Istologia ed Embriologia, Universitá degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo, Italia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leone
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biomedicina Sperimentale e Neuroscienze Cliniche, Sezione di Istologia ed Embriologia, Universitá degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo, Italia.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Uzzo
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biomedicina Sperimentale e Neuroscienze Cliniche, Sezione di Istologia ed Embriologia, Universitá degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo, Italia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gerbino
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Chirurgia Orale e Maxillo Facciale, Facoltá di Medicina e Chirurgia, Universitá degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo, Italia.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tortorici
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biomedicina Sperimentale e Neuroscienze Cliniche, Sezione di Anatomia Umana Normale, Universita' degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo, Italia.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tralongo
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biomedicina Sperimentale e Neuroscienze Cliniche, Sezione di Anatomia Umana Normale, Universita' degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo, Italia.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cappello
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento delle Scienze Specialistiche Medico Chirurgiche e Riabilitative Unitá Operativa Complessa di Otorinolaringoiatria, Universita degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo, Italia.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Incandela
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biomedicina Sperimentale e Neuroscienze Cliniche, Sezione di Istologia ed Embriologia, Universita degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo, Italia.
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Spatola
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiology, American University of Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Jurjus
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D001706:Biopsy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015267:Churg-Strauss Syndrome / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D020545:Respiratory Mucosa / Q000201:enzymology*; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C522361:MMP2 protein, human; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2; C579270:MMP9 protein, human; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9