Pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis is pathologically characterized by the proliferation of
abnormal smooth muscle-like cells (lymphangioleiomyomatosis cells) that synthesize
excess matrix metalloproteinases. Extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer is
minimally expressed in the healthy lung, but is up-regulated in various lung injuries that are
apparently associated with matrix metalloproteinases. We therefore immunohistochemically
stained extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer in lymphangioleiomyomatosis cells …