New Research - October 2009
Effects of inhaled corticosteroids on matrix metalloproteinase-8 (MMP-8) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs)
Summary
The investigators of this article are located in Finland. They studied the effect of inhaled corticosteroids on the level and expression of matrix metalloproteinase-8 (MMP-8) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs). They looked at the effects of corticosteriods on these measurements in the airway. They utilized induced sputum. Baseline levels of MMP-8 were higher in asthmatic children with moderate symptoms, TIMP-1 was lower in this group. Inhaled budesonide increased TIMP-1 levels in both groups of asthmatic children and normalized the MMP-8/TIMP-1 ratio. These findings correlated with improvement in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) in children with mild symptoms. At baseline, asthmatic children also had more MMP-8-positive macrophages than control children. The number of TIMP-1 positive macrophages were the same between asthmatics and controls. Budesonide decreased the percentage of of MMP-8-positive macrophages and increased that of TIMP-1-positive macrophages.
The authors concluded that "Inhaled budesonide normalized the MMP-8/TIMP-1 ratio… by upregulation of TIMP-1 production and downregulation of MMP-8 production by airway macrophages."
They also postulated that these findings may be a biochemical marker of an effect on airway inflammation and possibly of an ongoing remodeling process.
Reference
Obase Y, et al. Effects of inhaled corticosteroids on metalloproteinase-8 and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase-1 in the airways of asthmatic children. International Archives of Allergy and Immunology 2010; 151(3):247-254 (e-publication ahead of print).
<back>
|
About AAAAI
