TY - JOUR
TI - Circulating Tissue Inhibitor of Matrix Metalloproteinase-4 (TIMP-4) in
Systemic Sclerosis Patients with Elevated Pulmonary Arterial Pressure
AU - Elias, Gialafos J.
AU - Ioannis, Moyssakis
AU - Theodora, Psaltopoulou and
AU - Dimitrios, Papadopoulos P.
AU - Despoina, Perea
AU - Kostantinos, Vlasis
AU - and Charalampos, Kostopoulos
AU - Vassilios, Votteas
AU - Petros, Sfikakis
AU - P.
JO - Mediators of Inflammation
PY - 2008
VL - 2008
TODO - null
SP - null
PB - HINDAWI LTD
SN - 0962-9351, 1466-1861
TODO - 10.1155/2008/164134
TODO - null
TODO - Decreased levels of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) or excess levels of
their tissue inhibitors (TIMPs) may contribute to dysregulation of
extracellular matrix turnover in systemic sclerosis (SSc). In a
cross-sectional study of 106 SSc patients, we measured serum levels of
TIMP-4 which is preferentially expressed in cardiovascular structures
and searched for correlations with simultaneously performed
echocardiography measurements of pulmonary artery systolic pressure
(PASP), myocardial performance, and pulmonary function tests. TIMP-4,
but not MMP-9, levels were significantly raised in patients with SSc
than controls. However, in the subgroup of patients with PASP
measurements lower to 40 mmHg (n = 69), TIMP-4 levels were comparable to
controls irrespective of the presence of diffuse or limited skin
involvement, or lung fibrosis. Individual PASP measurements suggestive
of pulmonary hypertension were associated with increased TIMP-4 serum
levels (P = .03), independently of age, extent of skin sclerosis, or
lung fibrosis, suggesting a cardiopulmonary vasculature-specific role of
TIMP-4 activation in SSc. Copyright (c) 2008 Gialafos J. Elias et al.
ER -