Correlation of the expressions of MMPs-9, TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 with cesarean section scar / 南方医科大学学报

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the roles of MMPs-9, TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 in cesarean section scar healing.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The expressions of the MMPs-9, TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 were detected by EnVision immunohistochemistry in 22 pregnant women with serious complications of the uterine scar, including 8 with early caesarean scar pregnancy (CSP) and 14 with full-term pregnancy undergoing hysterectomy for placenta previa or implanted placenta. Thirty-eight full-term pregnant women without serious complications of the uterine scar and 32 normal full-term pregnant women served as the control I and control II groups, respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The expressions of MMPs-9 and TIMP-1 differed significantly between the 3 groups (P<0.05), whereas TIMP-2 did not (P>0.05). Spearman rank correlation analysis showed that the expression of MMPs-9 in the uterine scar tissues was positively correlated with poor uterine scar healing with the correlation coefficients of 0.309 and 0.643. An increased severity of poor healing scar was associated with a significantly increased expression of MMPs-9 (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The imbalanced expressions of MMPs-9 and TIMP-1 in injury repair can be related to poor uterine scar healing and CSP.</p>