Resumen

LAROCCA, Nancy Elizabeth; MORENO, Dolores; GARMENDIA, Jenny  y  DE SANCTIS, Juan Bautista. Niveles séricos de metaloproteinasa 9 (mmp-9) y del inhibidor tisular de mmp tipo 1 (timp-1) en pacientes venezolanos con asma o con enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica (epoc). RFM [online]. 2010, vol.33, n.1, pp.6-10. ISSN 0798-0469.

Serum levels of metalloproteinase (MMP) 9, an enzyme involved in inflammation, and its counterpart, the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases type 1 (TIMP-1) are significantly (P < 0.01) increased in patients with asthma or with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as compared with controls of the same age. The increase in both parameters is more significant (P < 0.0001) in severe patients of both groups, and particularly in patients with severe COPD as compared to severe asthmatics (P < 0.01). The increase in serum MMP-9 levels in relation with severity is higher than the observed values for TIMP-1 in both diseases. It is concluded that serum levels of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 may be important markers to establish severity in these diseases.

Palabras clave : Asthma; COPD; Metalloproteinase; MMP-9; Inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP-1).