Reduced Degradation of the Chemokine MCP-3 by Matrix Metalloproteinase-2 Exacerbates Myocardial Inflammation in Experimental Viral Cardiomyopathy

Abstract

Loss of MMP-2 increased the inflammatory response after CVB3 infection, which impaired cardiac function and survival during CVB3-induced myocarditis. Matrix metalloproteinase-2-mediated chemokine cleavage has an important role in cardiac inflammation as a negative feedback mechanism.