Serum Gelatinases Levels in Multiple Sclerosis Patients during 21 Months of Natalizumab Therapy

Figure 2

Longitudinal fluctuations of serum active MMP-2/TIMP-2 ratio (a), serum active MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio (b), and serum active MMP-9/active MMP-2 ratio (c) in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients during 21 months of Natalizumab treatment. No differences were found for the MMP-2/TIMP-2 (a) and MMP-9/TIMP-1 (b) ratios while the active MMP-9/active MMP-2 ratio was different at various time points ((c), ); in particular it was higher at the 15th month than at the 3rd (¹), 6th (²), and 9th months (³), increased at the 18th month than at the 3rd and 6th (^4,5), and more elevated at the 21st month of treatment than at the 3rd and 6th months (^6,7). MMP = matrix metalloproteinases; TIMP = tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases; T0 = baseline; T3 = 3rd month; T6 = 6th month; T9 = 9th month; T12 = 12th month; T15 = 15th month; T18 = 18th month; and T21 = 21st month. Horizontal bars indicate medians and error bars correspond to interquartile range. The boundaries of the box represent the 25th–75th quartiles. The line within the box indicates the median. The whiskers above and below the box correspond to the highest and lowest values, excluding outliers.

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(b)

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