title: Thoracic aortic dissection: are matrix metalloproteinases involved?
abstract: Thoracic aortic dissection, one of the major diseases affecting the aorta, carries a very high mortality rate. Improving our understanding of the pathobiology of this disease may help us develop medical treatments to prevent dissection and subsequent aneurysm formation and rupture. Dissection is associated with degeneration of the aortic media. Recent studies have shown increased expression and activation of a family of proteolytic enzymes-called matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs)-in dissected aortic tissue, suggesting that MMPs may play a major role in this disease. Inhibition of MMPs may be beneficial in reducing MMP-mediated aortic damage associated with dissection. This article reviews the recent literature and summarizes our current understanding of the role of MMPs in the pathobiology of thoracic aortic dissection. The potential importance of MMP inhibition as a future treatment of aortic dissection is also discussed.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Surgery Service, Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, The Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Xiaoming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ying H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Scott A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: LeMaire
mesh_terms: D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000201:enzymology*; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004318:Doxycycline / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D006903:Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020782:Matrix Metalloproteinases / Q000502:physiology*; D019714:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D019714:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinases; D006903:Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases; D020782:Matrix Metalloproteinases; D004318:Doxycycline