Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
Ann Med. 2012 Feb;44(1):93-9. doi: 10.3109/07853890.2010.530684. Epub 2010 Nov 3.
Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), gelatinases, have been associated with otitis media with effusion (OME), but the role of collagenase-2/matrix metalloproteinase-8 (MMP-8) in OME has not been studied previously. We studied the levels, isoenzyme distribution, and activation of MMP-8 in childhood OME, and also the levels of pro- and active forms of MMP-2 and -9 as well as 120 kDa gelatinase complexes were assessed.
Seventy middle ear fluid (MEF) samples were collected from 54 children with OME and classified to mucoid (n = 39) or serous (n = 31). MMPs were studied from MEF samples by time-resolved immunofluorometric assay, Western immunoblotting, and gelatin-zymography.
MMP-8 was found in its active form in MEF of children with OME. MMP-8 levels were significantly higher in mucous relative to serous OME. The pro- or active MMP-2 and -9 were found in MEF, but no MEF type-specific differences were found.
Our results suggest that MMP-8 may play a role in the pathogenesis of childhood OME. New therapeutic strategies with MMP inhibitors targeting MMP-8, but allowing MMP-8 to carry out the protective action, may play a role in the future treatment of otitis media and OME. However, further studies of this topic are needed.
基质金属蛋白酶（MMPs），明胶酶，与渗出性中耳炎（OME）有关，但以前尚未研究胶原酶-2/基质金属蛋白酶-8（MMP-8）在 OME 中的作用。我们研究了 MMP-8 在儿童 OME 中的水平、同工酶分布和激活情况，还评估了 MMP-2 和 -9 的前体和活性形式以及 120 kDa 明胶酶复合物的水平。
从 54 例OME 患儿的 70 例中耳液（MEF）样本中采集 MMPs，通过时间分辨免疫荧光测定法、Western 免疫印迹和明胶酶谱法进行研究。
在OME 患儿的 MEF 中发现 MMP-8 呈活性形式。与浆液性 OME 相比，粘液性 OME 中 MMP-8 水平显著升高。在 MEF 中发现了前体或活性 MMP-2 和 -9，但没有发现 MEF 类型特异性差异。
我们的结果表明 MMP-8 可能在儿童 OME 的发病机制中起作用。针对 MMP-8 的 MMP 抑制剂的新治疗策略，允许 MMP-8 发挥保护作用，可能在未来治疗中耳炎和 OME 中发挥作用。然而，还需要对此课题进行进一步研究。
