Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the expression of MMP-12 in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with polyps (CRSwNP).
Methodology: Tissue samples from 37 patients with CRSwNP undergoing functional endoscopic sinus surgery and healthy mucosa specimens from 12 healthy controls were obtained intraoperatively. The mRNA and protein expression levels of MMP-12 were quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting, respectively.
Results: mRNA levels of MMP-12 were significantly elevated in the CRSwNP tissue samples compared to those in control ones. The protein levels of MMP-12 showed a trend of increasing but with no statistical significance.
Conclusions: Elevation of MMP-12 in patients with CRSwNP suggests its potential implication in the pathogenesis of the disease. The difference in the expression profile observed between mRNA and protein levels could be due to post-translational gene expression regulation. Our findings provide evidence that MMP-12 along with other MMPs may serve as a biomarker and therapeutic target in the management of the disease.