Effect of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and its components on macrophages and the release of matrix metalloproteinases.

Abstract

These data suggest that M tuberculosis and its major cell antigenic component, LAM, stimulate the release of MMP-9 and upregulate the expression of genes for MMP-1 and MMP-9. It is possible that M tuberculosis and its components contribute directly to cavity formation by their ability to stimulate macrophages to release matrix metallo-proteinases that digest collagens I-IV, and indirectly by stimulating the release of the cytokines interleukin 1 beta and tumour necrosis factor alpha that induce fibroblasts to amplify the release of matrix metalloproteinases.