Figure 6.

Expression of MMP-9 in UC patients (n = 49). mRNA results were determined by RT-PCR. MMP-9 gene expression was not significantly different in UC patients with intestinal MAP detection and those without (p = 0.243) and did not differ between patients receiving an anti-inflammatory therapy (AIT) and those without AIT (p = 0.561). Further stratification of the UC cohort according to the different therapeutic agents revealed that MMP-9 mRNA is significantly decreased by factor 4.2 in UC patients treated with corticosteroids compared to those with no corticosteroids in their therapeutic regime (p = 0.009). No differences in MMP-9 expression were observed when patients receiving 5-amino salicylic acid (5-ASA) and its derivatives or immunomodulators (azathioprine and infliximab) were compared to patients not treated with the respective agent. Note, that some patients received more than one substance class and therefore appear in more than one subgroup.