Peripheral blood levels of matrix metalloproteinases in patients referred for percutaneous balloon mitral valve commissurotomy.
OBJECTIVE
Inflammation may play a central role in the progression of stenotic valvular heart disease. Serum levels of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), markers of extracellular matrix (ECM) turnover and potential markers of active inflammation, have been recently demonstrated in several inflammatory processes. The present study was designed to examine whether systemic evidence of ECM turnover was present in advanced stenotic mitral valve disease.


METHODS
Serum levels of MMP-1, -3 and -9 were measured in 114 patients with mitral stenosis referred for percutaneous balloon mitral valve commissurotomy, and compared to those in 48 healthy, age- and gender-matched controls.


RESULTS
Serum levels of MMP-1, -3 and -9 did not vary according to hemodynamic profile or heart failure class at the time of blood sampling. Levels of MMP-1 and -3 were not significantly different between those patients with mitral stenosis and controls. The level of MMP-9 was significantly higher in patients with mitral stenosis than in controls, and did not appear to be altered by commissurotomy.


CONCLUSIONS
Serum levels of MMP-9 were elevated in patients with mitral stenosis, providing further evidence that inflammation and ECM remodeling plays an important role in the pathophysiology of valvular heart disease.
Garr
Robert J
RJ
Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, USA.
Krasuski
Richard A
RA
Eckart
Robert E
RE
Wang
Andrew
A
Pierce
Cynthia
C
Kisslo
Katherine B
KB
Harrison
J Kevin
JK
Bashore
Thomas M
TM
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000201:enzymology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation; D020781:Matrix Metalloproteinase 1 / Q000097:blood; D019278:Matrix Metalloproteinase 3 / Q000097:blood; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000097:blood; D020782:Matrix Metalloproteinases / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008946:Mitral Valve Stenosis / Q000097:blood / Q000201:enzymology / Q000601:surgery*
D015415:Biomarkers; D020782:Matrix Metalloproteinases; D019278:Matrix Metalloproteinase 3; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9; D020781:Matrix Metalloproteinase 1