Examination gloves affect secretion of matrix metalloproteinases and their inhibitors from human abdominal skin fibroblasts

Overexpression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) has been observed in chronic, compared to acute, wounds and altered levels might impair healing. During treatment of wounds, examination gloves are routinely used, and the wound environment thus gets exposed to gloves. The aim of this study was to characterize secretion of MMPs and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) in cultured fibroblasts with or without exposure to gloves. Cultures were exposed to glove washings from powdered or powder-free latex examination gloves and compared to untreated controls. MMP-1, -2, -3, -9 and their inhibitors TIMP-1 and -2 were assayed in conditioned media. Cells exposed to gloves reduced their release of MMP-1, -2, and -3 with no differences between the manufacturers of the gloves. The inhibitor TIMP-1 was reduced to 10-15% of untreated control values (p<0.001), being less affected by the powder-free than by the powdered glove (p<0.05). MMP-9 and TIMP-2 were not significantly altered. We therefore conclude that secretion of MMPs and TIMPs from cultured fibroblasts were affected by glove washings. Powdered and powder-free gloves had similar effects, except for a less pronounced reduction of TIMP-1 production by the powder-free glove. Examination gloves might therefore affect wound healing, with the least pronounced effect observed using the powder-free glove.