Effect of hemodialysis on the plasma level of type IV collagenases and their inhibitors

Objectives: Increased cell expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) was associated with the development of atherosclerosis and osseoarticular tissue destruction in hemodialysis patients. In this study, the pre- and post-HD plasma concentrations of type IV collagenases and their inhibitors in HD patients were examined. Design and methods: Commercial ELISA kits and Zymography techniques were used to assay the parameters in 40 patients pre- and post-HD session. Results: After the hemodialysis process, MMP-9, MMP-2 and TIMP-2 levels were 124 ± 72, 706 ± 242 and 248 ± 90 ng/mL, significantly different from the pre-HD values (187 ± 148, 759 ± 304 and 43 ± 14 ng/mL). TIMP-1 were not affected by HD. Female subjects and patients with chronic glomerulonephritis had higher TIMP-2 than their counterparts (p < 0.05). The effect of gender on MMP-2 levels was interacted with that of membrane types (p < 0.01). Conclusion: These results indicated that the hemodialysis process tends to decrease the overall activity of the peripheral plasma MMP system in HD patients.