Suppressive effect of fluticasone propionate on MMP expression in the nasal mucosa of allergic rhinitis patients in vivo.

The effects of intranasal corticosteroids on matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their inhibitors (tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs)) in the nasal mucosa of patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) are not known. Nasal mucosa biopsy specimens were obtained from AR patients, with or without the administration of fluticasone propionate (FP) nose drops, and from healthy volunteers as controls. The specimens were analyzed by immuno-histochemistry and ELISA for MMP-2, MMP-9, TIMP-1 and TIMP-2. The MMP-9 levels in nasal mucosa extracts in the AR patients were significantly higher than in the controls. A significant suppressive effect of FP on the MMP-9 levels was shown. The control subjects showed no MMP- or TIMP-positive cells, whereas such positive cells were clearly present in the AR patients. No MMP- or TIMP-positive cells were detected after topical application of FP. These results suggest that the suppressive effect of FP on MMP expression is, in part, responsible for its clinical efficacy in AR.