http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7405-726X
![Sample our Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing & Allied Health journals, sign in here to start your FREE access for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5944/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Medicine-Dentistry-Nursing-Allied-Health.jpg"})
Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the usefulness of the serum concentration of nine matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) as biomarkers of spontaneous abortion.
Methods: A retrospective nested cohort case–control study was carried out in Zacatecas, Mexico. MMP-1-3, MMP-7-10, and MMP-12-13 were analyzed in serum from women who had spontaneous abortion of unknown causes (n = 7), who suffered abortions attributed to urinary tract infection (n = 7) and from those with healthy pregnancies without complications (controls; n = 20). Protein profiles were determined between 11 and 13 weeks of gestation (GW) using the Bio-Plex Pro Human MMP Panel. Differences in serum MMP concentrations between the study groups and their correlation with clinical findings were evaluated statistically.
Results: There were differences in serum concentrations of MMP-9 between groups of spontaneous abortion of unknown cause (13.2 ± 7.5 ng/µL), abortion attributed to urinary tract infection (11.6 ± 5.8 ng/µL) and the controls (11.8 ± 16.5 ng/µL) (p = .022). Compared with controls, higher serum concentrations of MMP-8, MMP-9, and MMP-10 were observed in the group of spontaneous abortions of unknown causes (p value < .05). A negative correlation between MMP-8 and MMP-9 and urine density was also identified (r = −0.949, p value = .0167; and r = −0.947, p = .0167).
Conclusions: Elevated serum concentrations of MMP-8, MMP-9, and MMP-10 were associated and preceded by the appearance of spontaneous interruption of pregnancy of unknown causes. Our results support the hypothesis that altered MMP modulation may be related with the pathogenesis of spontaneous abortion.
Ethical approval
All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments. The protocol was revised and approved by the Committee on Education, Research, Training and Ethics of Mujer Zacatecana Hospital (Approval: HMZ-07/2018).
Acknowledgements
The authors thank all of the study participants. They are grateful to the clinical staff of the Urban Health Center of Zacatecas “José Castro Villagrana” and the Hospital de la Mujer Zacatecana for their invaluable assistance in patient recruitment. They also gratefully acknowledge the support of Dr Raymundo Orozco-Covarrubias, Dr José Luis Durán-Aguayo, Dr Martín Cardona-Domínguez, Dr Rosbel Vázquez Castro, and Dr Raúl Hernández-León (SSZ) in patient enrollment. The invaluable accompaniment and support of Dr. Vicente Ortega-Cisneros throughout the our work will always be acknowledged: we will always remember you (rest in peace).
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.