Abstract: Objective This study was to assess the implications of serum matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1), matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) and hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) levels in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Methods 73 patients with CHB and 50 healthy persons were included in this study between January 2019 and June 2022, and serum MMP-1, MMP-2, TIMP-1 and HIF-1α levels were detected by ELISA. All patients with CHB underwent liver biopsies, and the significant liver fibrosis (SLF) was defined as equal to or greater than S2. The diagnostic performance was evaluated by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC). Results Serum MMP-1 level in patients with CHB was (9.3±2.7)μg/L, much lower than [(12.7±3.3)μg/L, P<0.05], while serum MMP-2, TIMP-1 and HIF-1α levels were (387.2±54.2)mg/L, (296.3±72.9)μg/L and (68.9±11.3)μg/L, all significantly higher than [(251.6±33.5)mg/L, (142.2±23.6)μg/L and (35.1±7.6)μg/L, respectively, P<0.05] in healthy individuals; the liver histopathological examination showed liver fibrosis S0-S1 in 18 cases, S2 in 22, S3 in 19 cases and S4 in 14 cases (>=S2 in 55 cases); serum MMP-1 level in patients with S4 liver fibrosis was (6.3±1.8)μg/L, while serum MMP-2, TIMP-1 and HIF-1α levels were (516.7±39.2)mg/L, (373.6±55.4)μg/L and (96.8±10.8)μg/L, and serum MMP-1 level in patients with S3 was (7.9±2.2)μg/L, while serum MMP-2, TIMP-1 and HIF-1α levels were (482.5±48.3)mg/L, (324.7±59.6)μg/L and (87.5±13.9)μg/L, both significantly different as compared to in patients with S0-S1 or with S2(P<0.05); the ROC analysis demonstrated that the AUCs were 0.835(0.752-0.918), 0.948(0.917-0.979), 0.955(0.928-0.982) and 0.919(0.877-0.961), when serum MMP-1, MMP-2, TIMP-1 and HIF-1α levels equal to 10.9 μg/L, 309.4 mg/L, 212.3 μg/L and 54.1 μg/L were set as the cut-off-value in predicting SLF in patients with CHB, superior for serum TIMP-1 and HIF-1α to the other two. Conclusion Serum TIMP-1 and HIF-1α, and/or MMP-1 levels might be used to screen liver fibrosis in patients with CHB, and needs further investigation.

Key words: Hepatitis B, Liver fibrosis, Matrix metalloproteinase, Tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases, Hypoxia inducible factor-1 α, Diagnosis