Expression of serum MMP-13 and TNF-α in patients with chronic hepatitis,liver cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma

Objective To study the expression and relationship of serum MMP-13 and TNF-α levels in the patients with chronic hepatitis,liver cirrhosis or hepatocyte carcinoma(HCC).Methods Double antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the levels of MMP-13 and TNF-α in 13 cases of chronic hepatitis,28 cases of liver cirrhosis,and 22 cases of HCC,which was compared with those in 13 cases of normal control(for MMP-13) and 20 cases of normal control(for TNF-α).Results Compared with the normal controls and chronic hepatitis,the serum MMP-13 levels of the patients with liver cirrhosis and HCC were significantly higher.The serum TNF-α levels of patients with chronic hepatitis as well as liver cirrhosis and HCC were significantly higher the serum TNF-α levels were significantly correlated to serum MMP-13 in patients with HCC,but not in patients with chronic hepatitis or liver cirrhosis.Conclusion MMP-13 has an important effect on the formation of liver fibrosis,and possibly on the invasion and metastasis of HCC.TNF-α has little effect on expression of MMP-13 in the patients with chronic hepatitis or liver cirrhosis,but TNF-α may modulate the expression of MMP-13 in patients with HCC.