Clinical evaluation of serum tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases‐1 levels in patients with liver diseases

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Abstract
Serum levels of the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases‐1 (TIMP‐1) were measured in 268 patients with liver diseases by means of a one‐step sandwich enzyme immunoassay. In the cases of acute hepatitis, chronic active hepatitis (CAH), liver cirrhosis (LC) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the levels of TIMP‐1 were higher than those of the control group. Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases‐1 levels correlated with type III procollagen peptide and with type IV collagen, indicating TIMP‐1 as a useful marker for hepatic fibrosis. Levels of TIMP‐1 also correlated with aspartate aminotransserase and alanine aminotransferase levels and showed the highest levels in acute hepatitis. Thus, TIMP‐1 might also reflect hepatic inflammation. Serum levels of α‐fetoprotein and TIMP‐1 had a significant positive correlation in patients with HCC. A cut‐off level of TIMP‐1 between LC and HCC was set at 440 ng/mL, having a low sensitivity and a high specificity. These results suggest the usefulness of TIMP‐1 as a tumour marker in cases of HCC where α‐fetoprotein levels are not elevated.