Skip to main content

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol.
Sec. Molecular Viral Pathogenesis
Volume 14 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1502912
This article is part of the Research Topic Impacts of virus infection on cellular stress, cytoskeleton dynamics and induction of antiviral states View all 4 articles

MMP-3 and TIMP-1 as Prognostic Biomarkers in VZV-Induced Retinal Necrosis

Provisionally accepted
Zhujian Wang Zhujian Wang Yu Liu Yu Liu Min Zhou Min Zhou Boya Lei Boya Lei Qing Chang Qing Chang Wenjun Cao Wenjun Cao *
  • Eye and Ent Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Objective: Acute retinal necrosis (ARN) caused by varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is associated with changes in specific proteins in the eye's fluid, particularly matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3), an enzyme that breaks down tissue structures, and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1), which regulates MMP activity. This study aims to investigate how these proteins correlate with the progression of ARN.We analyzed aqueous humor samples from 33 patients with ARN and 23 control patients with virus-negative uveitis. MMP-3 levels were measured using immunoturbidimetry, and TIMP-1 levels were determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We examined the relationships between these protein levels and clinical findings using statistical correlation methods.Results: MMP-3, TIMP-1 were significantly higher in the aqueous humor of ARN patients compared to the controls (P<0.0001). Correlation analysis revealed a significant correlation between MMP-3 levels and TIMP-1 (r = 0.460, P = 0.007). The upregulation of MMP-3 and TIMP-1 was found to parallel VZV DNA load and IL-6 levels. Additionally, they exhibited negative correlation with best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and positive correlation with the percentage of active retinal necrosis area.MMP-3 was markedly enhanced in all 14 cases of retinal detachment (RD), whereas TIMP-1 levels were significantly reduced in the same cohort of eyes. Patients with initial higher TIMP-1 levels have a significantly increased risk of developing RD, with a hazard ratio (HR) of 3.152 (95% CI, 1.082-9.18).The imbalance between MMP-3 and TIMP-1 may play a critical role in the development and severity of ARN. Measuring these proteins in the eye's aqueous humor could be valuable for assessing disease progression and guiding treatment strategies, potentially improving outcomes for patients with virus-induced retinal diseases.

    Keywords: varicella-zoster virus, Acute Retinal Necrosis, Aqueous Humor, Metalloproteinase-3, Tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase-1

    Received: 27 Sep 2024; Accepted: 25 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Wang, Liu, Zhou, Lei, Chang and Cao. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Wenjun Cao, Eye and Ent Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.