Table 5 Correlation analysis of protein levels in BAL of MMPs and TIMPs (Spearman’s rho)

Age of patients

MMP-2

-0.162

0.266

-0.113

0.482

MMP-9

0.090

0.527

0.001

0.931

MMP-12

0.072

0.616

-0.055

0.726

TIMP-1

-0.021

0.884

-0.067

0.675

TIMP-2

0.015

0.922

-0.141

0.379

Packs per year

MMP-2

-0.102

0.499

0.126

0.452

MMP-9

-0.236

0.103

-0.042

0.802

MMP-12

-0.149

0.317

-0.033

0.839

TIMP-1

-0.069

0.636

0.012

0.940

TIMP-2

-0.088

0.578

-0.101

0.547

FEV1 % predicted

MMP-2

-0.140

0.339

-0.186

0.251

MMP-9

-0.241

0.085

-0.475^a

0.002

MMP-12

-0.242

0.087

-0.281

0.071

TIMP-1

-0.162

0.246

-0.510^a

0.001

TIMP-2

-0.166

0.281

-0.492^a

0.001

FEV/FVC

MMP-2

-0.049

0.741

-0.130

0.424

MMP-9

-0.151

0.284

-0.364^b

0.019

MMP-12

-0.107

0.457

-0.180

0.254

TIMP-1

-0.114

0.418

-0.420^a

0.006

TIMP-2

-0.177

0.250

-0.365^b

0.020

RV % predicted

MMP-2

-0.113

0.445

0.175

0.287

MMP-9

0.106

0.459

0.307

0.054

MMP-12

0.042

0.773

0.099

0.537

TIMP-1

0.135

0.339

0.365^b

0.021

TIMP-2

0.161

0.302

0.344^b

0.032

DLCO % predicted

MMP-2

-0.109

0.475

0.097

0.566

MMP-9

-0.057

0.700

0.079

0.636

MMP-12

-0.026

0.860

0.058

0.725

TIMP-1

-0.016

0.911

-0.125

0.454

TIMP-2

-0.199

0.219

0.069

0.684