Abstract
Objective: To investigate the expression and significance of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13) in bullous pemphigoid (BP) skin lesions. Methods: Immunohistochemical SP method was used to detect the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-13 in 32 BP skin lesions, and compared with 15 normal skin tissues. Results: The expression of MMP-2 in the case group was significantly increased (38.56 ± 10.06) compared to the normal control group (21.20 ± 5.98); the expression of MMP-13 in the case group was significantly augmented (18.62 ± 5.90) compared to the normal control group (11.47 ± 8.484). The expressions of MMP-2 and MMP-13 in the skin lesions of patients with bullous pemphigoid were statistically different from those of normal people (both P < 0.05). Compared with the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-13 in bullous pemphigoid, the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-13 was moderately correlated (correlation coefficient was 0.523). Conclusion: The expression of MMP-2 and MMP-13 is significantly increased in bullous pemphigoid skin lesions, suggesting that they may play an important role in the pathogenesis of BP. There is a certain correlation between the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-13, suggesting that the high expression of MMP-13 may play a role in the mechanism that further leads to the high expression of MMP-2.