title: Proteolysis of the abdominal aortic aneurysm wall and the association with rupture.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Umeå University Hospital, Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Petersen
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wågberg
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Angquist
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D019715:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1; D019716:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-2; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9