RESULTS
Determination of MMP-2, MMP-7, MMP-9 and TIMPS 2 levels (Table 1&2)
The average MMP-2 level was lower in the effusions from non-atrophic TMs (average 85,4 ng/ml) than in the effusions from atrophic TMs (113,2 ng/ml), whether the concentration is expressed in ml of effusion or related to the total protein content: this difference was not significative between the two groups (p=0.28).
The mean concentration of TIMP-2 was higher in healthy subjects (mean 73,7 ng/ml – 0,64 ng/µg total protein) than in the atrophic TMs group (65,8 ng/ml – 0,51 ng/µg total protein). There is no significant difference between the two groups of samples (p=0.76).
The average MMP-7 level was 71 ng/ml in the non-atrophic samples (0,59 ng/µg total protein) vs. 68,5 ng/ml in the atrophic group (0,48 ng/µg total protein): the difference is not significant between the two groups (p=0.68).
The quantities of MMP-9 measured in the samples were higher than for MMP-2 and MMP-7. The average MMP-9 level was 1120 ng/ml in the non-atrophic group (110 ng/µg total protein) vs. 822,6 ng/ml in the atrophic TMs samples (0,48 ng/µg total protein). However, this difference was not significant (p=0.73).