Epithelial growth, branching, and canalization are important morphogenetic events of the rodent ventral prostate (VP) that take place during the first postnatal week. In this study, we evaluated the effect of knocking out MMP‐2 (MMP‐2−/−), by examining developmental and structural aspects of the VP in MMP‐2−/− mice. Neonate (day 6) MMP‐2−/− mice showed fewer epithelial tips, a lower epithelial cell proliferation rate, and also reticulin fiber accumulation. The VP of adult MMP‐2−/− mice showed lower relative weight, smaller epithelial and smooth‐muscle cell volume, and a larger amount of thicker reticulin fibers. No differences in cell proliferation or apoptotic index were noted between adult MMP‐2−/− and wild‐type mice. MMP‐9 was found in the adult MMP‐2−/−, but not in the wild‐type. In conclusion, MMP‐2 function is essential for the epithelial morphogenesis of the mouse VP, and expression of MMP‐9 is not sufficient for acquisition of the normal adult histology. Developmental Dynamics 239:2386–2392, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

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Emerging retrospective data suggests that patients with psoriasis have an increased risk of premature death, with the risk most significant in patients with severe disease, as defined by treatment patterns or hospitalization for psoriasis. To our knowledge, there have been no prospective, population-based studies evaluating mortality in patients with psoriasis using physician-reported, objective measures of disease severity. The objective of this study is to determine the all-cause mortality rate for adults with psoriasis, using objective measures of psoriasis severity. We conducted a prospective cohort study using The Health Improvement Network, an electronic medical records database in the United Kingdom. These individuals have information regarding disease severity, including percent of body surface area (BSA) affected, as reported by a general practitioner (GP) in a prospective survey (response rate¼95.7%). Among 8760 psoriasis patients and 87,600 controls, there were 125 deaths (3.35 deaths per 1000 person-years, 95% CI: 2.81-3.99) and 1188 deaths (3.24 deaths per 1000 person-years, 95% CI: 3.06-3.43) in 402,893 person-years of observation. After adjusting for age, sex and cardiovascular risk factors (BMI, smoking, history of MI/stroke, diabetes), those with >10% BSA had an increased risk of death (HR: 1.82, 95% CI: 1.23-2.69). The hazard associated with >10% BSA was as significant as other well established cardiovascular risk factors including MI (HR: 1.71, 95% CI: 1.31-2.23), stroke (HR: 1.90, 95% CI: 1.44-2.50) and diabetes (HR: 2.00, 95% CI: 1.7-2.34). Our results suggest the impact of severe psoriasis (>10% BSA) on mortality is comparable to other well established cardiovascular risk factors. This novel finding identifies individuals with an increased risk of mortality where prevention efforts should be targeted.