Pathogenesis of Fibrosis with Chronic Hepatitis C: Hepatic fibrosis is a dynamic scarring process in which chronic inflammation stimulates production and accumulation of collagen and extracellular matrix proteins. The hepatic stellate cells are the primary cells responsible for producing these extracellular matrix proteins. Over time, with chronic hepatitis C infection, the total collagen conte...

Pathogenesis of Fibrosis with Chronic Hepatitis C: Hepatic fibrosis is a dynamic scarring process in which chronic inflammation stimulates production and accumulation of collagen and extracellular matrix proteins. The hepatic stellate cells are the primary cells responsible for producing these extracellular matrix proteins. Over time, with chronic hepatitis C infection, the total collagen conte...

AIM To examine epiretinal membranes of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) for the presence of selective matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their natural inhibitors (TIMPs), in order to determine whether neovascularisation and fibrosis, characteristic of this complication of diabetes mellitus, are associated with specific anomalies of MMP or TIMP expression. METHODS The presence of sel...

Remodelling of the extracellular matrix (ECM) of the follicular wall by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases (TIMPs) has been suggested to be crucial in ovulation. To investigate the expression of the gelatinases, MMP-2 and MMP-9, together with their inhibitors, TIMP-2 and TIMP-1, in the perifollicular ovarian stroma from women just before and duri...

BACKGROUND Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are crucial in the inflammatory and remodeling phases of wound healing. We previously reported the correlation between pro-inflammatory cytokines and timing of successful combat-wound closure. We now extend our studies to investigate the correlation between wound-remodeling MMP expression and wound healing. METHODS Thirty-eight wounds in 25 patients...

Pathogenesis of Fibrosis with Chronic Hepatitis C: Hepatic fibrosis is a dynamic scarring process in which chronic inflammation stimulates production and accumulation of collagen and extracellular matrix proteins. The hepatic stellate cells are the primary cells responsible for producing these extracellular matrix proteins. Over time, with chronic hepatitis C infection, the total collagen conte...

Background & objective: Pruritus is the most frequent chronic dermal complication of sulfur mustard (SM), which negatively influences the quality of life. Exact pathophysiology of SM-induced itching is unknown. The current study aimed at evaluating the possible association between SM-induced itching and the serum levels of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP...

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a family of enzymes that regulate the extracellular matrix environment and whose activity has been implicated in normal and pathological processes. [1],[2] There are 23 MMPs identified in humans and these are upregulated in response to injury and during tumorgenesis. It has been reported that MMP-3, 8, and 12 null mice show increased tumor growth and / or me...

The action of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) was originally believed to be restricted to degradation of the extracellular matrix; however, in recent years, it has become evident that these proteases can modify many nonmatrix substrates, such as cytokines and chemokines. The use of MMP-deficient animals has revealed that these proteases can indeed influence the progression of various inflammat...

Aim: To investigate the role of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), MMP-9 and MMP-2, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in metastasis and their relationship with survival. Early metastasis is the most common cause of lung cancer death. Angiogenesis and basement membrane damage are necessary for growth and invasion of the tumoral cells. VEGF, involved in angiogenic activity, and MMPs, i...