Is serum matrix metalloproteinase-9 an early marker of pancreatic necrosis in patients with severe acute pancreatitis?
An elevation in serum MMP-9 within the first 24 hours of disease is strongly associated with the development of pancreatic necrosis. This finding may have important clinical implications and requires further investigation.
The results support the concept that chronic ethanol ingestion induces altered gene expression as a result of changes in epigenetic mechanisms, where acetylation and methylation of histones were altered.