ALTERED EXPRESSION OF MATRIX METALLOPROTEINASES AND THEIR TISSUE INHIBITORS AS POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTORS TO CORNEAL DROPLET FORMATION IN CLIMATIC DROPLET KERATOPATHY

JUHA M. HOLOPAINEN; HORACIO M. SERRA; MARÝA C. SANCHEZ; TIMO SORSA; WALDIR N. ZALENTEIN; PABLO F. BARCELONA; JUKKA A.O. MOILANEN; TAINA TERVAHARTIALA; TIMO M.T. TERVO; THAMARA A. CAFARO; ISMO VIRTANEN; ENRIQUE A. URRETS-ZAVALIA; SANJOY K. BHATTACHARYA; JULIO A. URRETS-ZAVALIA

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Año: 2009 vol. 09 p. 1 - 1

font size="2" face="AdvTimes-bi"> Purpose: Climatic droplet keratopathy (CDK) is an acquired corneal disease characterized by progressive scarring of the cornea. In several corneal diseases, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are upregulated during the degradation of epithelial and stromal tissues. We investigated the levels, degree of activation and molecular forms of MMP-2, MMP-9, MMP-8 and MMP-13 and their tissue inhibitors TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 in tear fluid of patients with CDK. Methods: Seventeen CDK patients and 10 controls living in Argentine Patagonia received a complete eye examination, and MMPs and TIMP-1 ⁄