Authors: Dietmar Ulrich Franziska Ulrich Andrzej Piatkowski Norbert Pallua
Publish Date: 2008/08/30
Volume: 129, Issue: 11, Pages: 1453-1459
Abstract
Dupuytren’s disease is a fibroproliferative disorder characterized by thickening of the palmar fascia Several studies indicate that MMPs and TIMPs may play a key role in the onset or progression of Dupuytren’s disease and related disorders In this study we used a quantitative reversetranscription PCR methodology to profile the expression of TIMP1 TIMP2 MMP2 and MMP9 in nodule and cord tissue from patients with Dupuytren’s disease and compared this with normal palmar fascia taken at carpal tunnel releaseTissue from patients with Dupuytren’s disease was taken at fasciectomy n = 30 23 men and 7 women average age 613 ± 95 years Samples were divided into regions of nodule and cord according to gross morphology Normal fascia was taken from patients without Dupuytren’s contracture who had carpal tunnel release n = 30 14 men and 16 women average age 63 ± 11 years Expression of mRNA was calculated using a relative quantification method Pfaffl Statistical analysis was performed using the Mann–Whitney test The level of significance was considered to be P 005In comparison to normal fascia the cords and nodules from patients with Dupuytren’s disease showed significant upregulation for TIMP1 and TIMP2 P 005 The expression of TIMP1 was significantly higher in nodules in comparison to cord tissue P 005 The expression of MMP2 was significantly upregulated in tissue of patients with Dupuytren’s contracture in comparison to normal tissue P 005 The expression of MMP2 was significantly higher in nodules in comparison to cord tissue P 005 There was no significant difference in the relative expression of MMP9 in nodules and cord tissue of patients with Dupuytren’s contracture in comparison to normal fascia from patients with carpal tunnel syndromeThe balance between MMPs and their natural inhibitors is disturbed in patients with Dupuytren’s disease The decrease in MMPtoTIMP expression can cause increased synthesis and deposition of collagen leading to palmar fibromatosis The high expression of MMP2 may represent an unsuccessful attempt to reduce collagen deposition In the future a treatment that downregulates TIMPs but increases the activity of MMPs may be an appropriate therapy for Dupuytren’s disease
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