RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To study the contribution of different members of the metalloproteinases (MMP) family in gelatinolytic and collagenolytic potential, namely dinitrophenyl-Pro-Gln-Gly-Ile-Ala-Gly-Gln-D-Arg (DNP-S) sensitive proteolytic activity, in loose total hip arthroplasty (THA) endoprostheses. METHODS: Periprosthetic tissues and fluid samples were collected from patients subjected to hip endoprosthesis replacement. DNP-S sensitive proteolytic activity was evaluated by the degradation of synthetic DNP-S and reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography, while gelatinolytic activity was assessed by gelatin zymography. The isolation and separation of gelatinases was performed by gelatin- and concanavalin A-Sepharose affinity chromatographies and the identification of collagenases by immunoblot analysis. RESULTS: High gelatinolytic activity was observed in all periprosthetic tissue extracts and fluid samples. All samples also exhibited DNP-S degrading activity, without pretreatment by activating agents. Upon fractionation of MMP by gelatin-Sepharose affinity chromatography it was found that the gelatin-unbound collagenases are exclusively responsible for DNP-S degrading activity. Activated species of both MMP-1 and 13 were detected in most samples, but not the soluble form of MT1-MMP. Separation of gelatinases from each other and treatment with 4-aminophenylmercuric acetate (APMA) revealed that both enzymes mainly existed in complex with tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP). CONCLUSION: MMP-1 and MMP-13, which exist in activated form, could be responsible for the DNP-S-degrading activity in periprosthetic tissues and fluids, while the gelatinases do not contribute in this potential, since they mainly exist in complex with TIMP. The 2 collagenases may play a key role in the loosening of THA endoprostheses.