Plasma matrix metalloproteinase-9 activity in cats with lymphoma.

Abstract

In this study, plasma MMP-9 activity was evaluated in cats with lymphoma. Plasma samples were obtained from 26 cats with lymphoma before treatment. From 13 of the included 26 cats, plasma samples were obtained 4&#x2009;weeks after the initiation of treatment. Plasma samples were also obtained from 10 healthy cats as a control. Plasma MMP-9 activity was examined by gelatin zymography and semi-quantitative value (arbitrary unit; a.u.) for each sample was calculated. Relatively high levels of MMP-9 were observed in cats with lymphoma compared with those in healthy control cats. MMP-9 quantification through zymography showed significantly higher activity in cats with lymphoma (median, 0.63&#x2009;a.u.; range, 0.23-3.24&#x2009;a.u.) than in healthy controls (0.22&#x2009;a.u.; 0.12-0.46&#x2009;a.u.; P&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.01). MMP-9 activities were significantly different before (0.73&#x2009;a.u.; 0.30-3.24&#x2009;a.u.) and after treatment (0.50&#x2009;a.u.; 0.14-1.32&#x2009;a.u.; P&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.017). Measuring plasma MMP-9 activity in cats with lymphoma may become an appropriate monitoring tool for feline lymphoma.