Chronic venous ulceration (CVU) of the lower limbs is a common condition affecting 1% of the adult population in Western countries, which is burdened with a high complication rate and a marked reduction in the quality of life often due to prolonged healing time. Several
metalloproteinases (
MMPs) such as MMP-9 together with
neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) appear to be involved in the onset and healing phases of
venous ulcer, but it is still unclear how many biochemical components are responsible for prolonged healing time in those
ulcers. In this study, we evaluate the role of MMP-1 and MMP-8 in long lasting and refractory
venous ulcers. In a 2-year period we enroled 45 patients (28 female and 17 male, median age 65) with CVU. The enroled population was divided into two groups: group I were patients with non-healing
ulcers (
ulcers that had failed to heal for more than 2 months despite appropriate treatments) and group II were patients with healing
ulcers (
ulcers in healing phases). MMP-1 and MMP-8 were measured in fluids and tissues of healing and non-healing
ulcers by means of
enzyme-linked
immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blot analysis, respectively. In particular the patterns of the
collagenases MMP-1 and MMP-8 in healing
wounds were distinct, with MMP-8 appearing in significantly greater amounts especially in the non-healing group. Our findings suggest that MMP-1, and MMP-8 are overexpressed in long lasting CVU. Therefore, this dysregulation may represent the main cause of the pathogenesis of non-healing CVU.