Brief Article
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World J Exp Med. Aug 20, 2013; 3(3): 43-49
Published online Aug 20, 2013. doi: 10.5493/wjem.v3.i3.43
Expression of matrix metalloproteinases 9 and 12 in actinic cheilitis
Athanasios K Poulopoulos, Dimitrios Andreadis, Anastasios K Markopoulos
Athanasios K Poulopoulos, Dimitrios Andreadis, Anastasios K Markopoulos, Department of Oral Medicine and Oral Pathology, School of Dentistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Author contributions: Poulopoulos AK performed the research and wrote the manuscript; Andreadis D and Poulopoulos AK examined the slides and evaluated the results; Markopoulos AK gave vital suggestions, amended the draft to his final form and refined the contents.
Correspondence to: Anastasios K Markopoulos, Professor, Chair, Department of Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, School of Dentistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece. anmark@dent.auth.gr
Telephone: +30-2310-999523 Fax: +30-2310-999455
Received: March 4, 2013
Revised: July 3, 2013
Accepted: August 20, 2013
Published online: August 20, 2013
Core Tip

Core tip: Actinic cheilitis is a chronic inflammatory disorder affecting mainly the lower lip, and it is caused by chronic and excessive exposure of the lips to the ultraviolet radiation in sunlight. Histologic features for actinic cheilitis include epithelial and connective tissue alterations. The matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a large family of zinc-dependent endopeptidases, which are responsible for a wide range of proteolytic events. The aim of this study was to investigate the role and the expression of MMP-9, -12 as mediators of functional connective tissue damage in actinic cheilitis.