Matrix metalloproteinases in peripheral blood and cerebrospinal fluid in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Background: Deposition of amyloid beta in senile plaques and in cerebral blood vessels is one hallmark of the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The ability of several matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) to degrade amyloid precursor protein leading to aggregation of amyloid beta, as well as the increased expression of MMPs in post mortem brain tissue of Alzheimer's patients, indicate that MMPs play an important role in the pathogenesis of AD.

Methods: We investigated levels of MMP-2,-3,-9 and -10 in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of AD patients (n = 14) by gelatin and casein zymography.