Erschienen in:
01.05.2006 | Clinical Research
The Elevated Level of Circulating Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 in Patients with Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms Decreased to Levels Equal to Those of Healthy Controls after an Aortic Repair
verfasst von:
Tetsuo Watanabe, MD, PhD, Akira Sato, MD, PhD, Takashi Sawai, MD, PhD, Miwa Uzuki, MD, PhD, Hitoshi Goto, MD, PhD, Hiroshi Yamashita, MD, PhD, Daijirou Akamatsu, MD, PhD, Hiroko Sato, MD, PhD, Takuya Shimizu, MD, Noriyuki Miyama, MD, Yoshiyuki Nakano, MD, Susumu Satomi, MD, PhD
Erschienen in:
Annals of Vascular Surgery
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Ausgabe 3/2006
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Abstract
Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) is abundantly expressed in abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs), and it is considered to play a pivotal role in aneurysmal formation. Elevated circulating concentrations of MMP-9 have been reported in patients with AAA, but the influence of an operation on circulating MMP-9 is unclear. Therefore, to clarify the influence of an operation on circulating MMP-9 levels and to determine the role of MMP-9 in the progression of AAA, we measured serum MMP-9 levels in patients before and after AAA repair. Blood samples were obtained from 53 patients with AAA; 22 patients underwent AAA operations, including 17 patients with arterial occlusive disease (AOD), and nine normal control subjects. Serum MMP-9 levels were determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The serum MMP-9 concentration was significantly higher in AAA patients (622.0 ± 400.2 ng/mL) than in either AOD patients (284.3 ± 151.4 ng/mL) or healthy controls (280.8 ± 165.5 ng/mL) (p < 0.001). The mean serum MMP-9 levels in patients undergoing surgery for AAA (268.1 ± 215.9 ng/mL) was significantly lower than that in AAA patients (p < 0.01). Among the 10 patients whose sera were obtained preoperatively and postoperatively, the serum MMP-9 concentration fell significantly after the patients underwent the operation (p = 0.004). No significant difference was identified in serum MMP-9 concentrations among AOD patients, controls, and postoperative patients. These studies suggest that MMP-9 plays a pivotal role in aneurysm formation, and the circulating MMP-9 level is thus considered to reflect the biological behavior of the aneurysm.