Proteolysis of the abdominal aortic aneurysm wall and the association with rupture.
OBJECTIVE
to investigate proteolysis of the abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) wall and the association with rupture.


METHODS
levels of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-2 and MMP-9) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP-1 and TIMP-2) were measured in the walls of medium-sized (5-7 cm in diameter) ruptured AAA (rAAA) (n =30) and large (> or = 7 cm in diameter) asymptomatic AAA (aAAA) (n=30).


RESULTS
MMP-2 levels (median, range) were significantly higher in the walls of large aAAA (165 ng/g AAA tissue, 50-840) than from medium-sized rAAA (110 ng/g AAA tissue, 47-547, p=0.007). MMP-9 levels were significantly higher in the walls of medium-sized rAAA (107 ng/g AAA tissue, 19-582) than from large aAAA (55 ng/g AAA tissue, 11-278, p=0.012). TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 levels were equivalent. There was a positive correlation between MMP-2 and the diameter of aAAA (r=0.54, p=0.002), but a negative correlation with MMP-9 (r= -0.44, p=0.017). No significant correlations were found between aAAA diameter and TIMP-1 or TIMP-2.


CONCLUSIONS
AAA rupture is associated with higher levels of MMP-9. There is no association with TIMP-1 or TIMP-2 levels. MMP-2 levels are positively, whereas MMP-9 levels are negatively, correlated with aAAA size. MMP-9 may play a role in the progression towards rupture, whereas MMP-2 may play a role in expansion.
Petersen
E
E
Department of Surgery, Umeå University Hospital, Umeå, Sweden.
Wågberg
F
F
Angquist
K A
KA
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000150:complications* / Q000201:enzymology*; D001019:Aortic Rupture / Q000150:complications* / Q000201:enzymology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism*; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D019715:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D019716:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-2 / Q000378:metabolism
D019715:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1; D019716:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-2; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9