Correlation of inflammatory cytokine Interleukine (IL-4) and Matrix metalloproteinase-9 in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

Abstract

Introduction: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) presents with respiratory symptoms caused by airflow obstruction. Parenchymal abnormalities, constricted airway and inflammation are major causative factors associated with COPD. Proteases such as matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) and a pleiotropic cytokine Interleukin-4 (IL-4) play an important role in lung tissue remodeling. However, there is a dearth in studies correlating the levels of MMP9 and IL-4 in patients of COPD. This study aims to evaluate the serum levels of MMP-9 and IL-4 in COPD and correlate with clinical characteristics of COPD patients. Materials and methods: This case control study pre-screened 134 participants of which 40 were healthy and 94 were COPD patients from the Department of Pulmonary Medicine at the Prasad Institute of Medical Sciences Lucknow. Results: Significantly increased level of Serum MMP-9 (212.6 ± 75.5 ng/ml) were detected in COPD group as compared to the control group (97.5± 45.6 ng/ml). Also, the IL-4 levels were significantly different in the control group Conclusions: Detection of higher levels of MMP9 and IL-4 in patients suffering from COPD in the present study implies that these biomarkers could serve as markers for understanding the depth of COPD development and therapy. Keywords: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP), Interleukin-4 (IL-4), COPD