Oikonomidi Smaragda, Kostikas Konstantinos, Tsilioni Irene, Tanou Kalliopi, Gourgoulianis Konstantinos I, Kiropoulos Theodoros S
Respiratory Medicine Department, University of Thessaly Medical School, University Hospital of Larissa, 41110 Larissa, Greece.
Curr Med Chem. 2009;16(10):1214-28. doi: 10.2174/092986709787846587.
Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are zinc-endopeptidases responsible for degradation of the extracellular matrix (ECM) components including basement membrane collagen, interstitial collagen, fibronectin, and various proteoglycans, during normal remodeling and repair processes. The turnover and remodeling of ECM must be tightly regulated since excessive or inappropriate expression of MMPs may contribute to the pathogenesis of tissue destructive processes associated with lung inflammation and disease. Despite the fact that our knowledge in the field of MMP biology is rapidly expanding, the role of MMPs in the pathogenesis of lung diseases is still not clear. The aim of the present review is to present the basic principles of MMP biology and, subsequently, to focus on the clinical and experimental evidence related to MMP activity in various lung disorders, including lung cancer, pleural effusions, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, acute respiratory distress syndrome and interstitial lung diseases.
基质金属蛋白酶（MMPs）是锌依赖性内肽酶，在正常的重塑和修复过程中，负责降解细胞外基质（ECM）成分，包括基底膜胶原蛋白、间质胶原蛋白、纤连蛋白和各种蛋白聚糖。由于MMPs的过度表达或不适当表达可能导致与肺部炎症和疾病相关的组织破坏过程的发病机制，因此ECM的周转和重塑必须受到严格调控。尽管我们在MMP生物学领域的知识正在迅速扩展，但MMPs在肺部疾病发病机制中的作用仍不清楚。本综述的目的是介绍MMP生物学的基本原理，随后重点关注与各种肺部疾病（包括肺癌、胸腔积液、慢性阻塞性肺疾病、哮喘、急性呼吸窘迫综合征和间质性肺疾病）中MMP活性相关的临床和实验证据。
