Increased extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN) expression in pulmonary fibrosis

Extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN) was examined on bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALFs) and lung tissue from patients with fibrosis (usual interstitial pneumonia-idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis [UIP-IPF], n = 15; diffuse parenchymal lung diseases without IPF characteristics on computerized tomography scan, n = 8) and without fibrosis (n = 6). In UIP-IPF, EMMPRIN staining was increased in areas of fibrosis, mainly in macrophages and in epithelial cells. EMMPRIN was also found in the extracellular medium with significant levels in patients with lung fibrosis compared to subjects without fibrosis. Moreover, macrophages from patients with lung fibrosis spontaneously produce EMMPRIN. These findings show that EMMPRIN is increased in lung fibrosis.