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Specific matrix metalloproteinase expression in focal myositis: an immunopathological study.

[focal myositis]

The aim of our study was to investigate immunoexpression of matrix metalloproteinases MMP2, MMP7 and MMP9 in muscle specimens from patients with focal myositis (FM) vs polymyositis (PM) and dermatomyositis.We studied muscle biopsy samples from seven patients affected by FM; samples from five patients each with PM and dermatomyositis were studied as disease controls.MMP2 immunoreactivity was present in PM and dermatomyositis, MMP7 only in PM, and MMP9 in PM, dermatomyositis and FM.Our results confirm that increased MMP9 immunoreactivity in muscle fibres is a common feature of all inflammatory myopathies and suggest that MMP2 and MMP7 cannot be implicated in the inflammatory events of FM.