An Analysis of the Content of Metalloproteinases in the Intestinal Wall of Patients with Crohn’s Disease

Abstract

One of the inflammatory bowel diseases is Crohn’s disease. Although this term has been used in the medical community since 1932, a significant increase in the number of publications occurs at the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century. Crohn’s disease is a disease that cannot be fully cured. In many cases, it is chronic, i.e., recurrent. All preventive and therapeutic measures taken by doctors are aimed at inhibiting the development of the disease and minimizing the occurrence of any potential “side effects” resulting from the developing disease. One of the diagnostic methods is the qualitative and quantitative determination of metalloproteinases in inflammatory tissues and in the blood. The aim of the study was the quantitative and qualitative determination of metalloproteinases in inflammatory bowel tissues in patients diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. The in vitro study was performed on surgical tissues from patients diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. The results show that in inflammatory tissues the concentration of metalloproteinases -3, -7, -8, -9 was higher compared to tissues taken from the resection margin without signs of inflammation, defined as healthy. The experiment confirmed that the biochemical test, which is the determination of metalloproteinases in tissues, is a useful diagnostic tool to differentiate inflammatory from non-inflammatory tissues.