Functional polymorphisms in matrix metalloproteinases -1, -3, -9 and -12 in relation to cervical artery dissection.
BACKGROUND
Cervical artery dissection is a leading cause of cerebral ischemia in young adults. Morphological investigations have shown alterations in the extracellular matrix (ECM) of affected vessel walls. As matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) play a central role in the regulation of the ECM, an increased expression of these enzymes might lead to the endothelial damage in spontaneous cervical artery dissection (sCAD). Five different DNA polymorphisms in MMP-1, -3, -9 and -12 were tested for their frequency in patients with sCAD and compared with those of a control population.


METHODS
Blood was sampled from 70 unrelated patients presenting consecutively in the department of neurology of the Aachen University Medical School with sCAD and from 87 control subjects living in the same area as the patients. The MMP polymorphisms were analyzed with hybridization probes using the LightCycler (Roche Diagnostics), by sequencing using the ABI 310 Genetic Analyzer (Applied Biosystems) and with the GeneScan program on a ABI 310 Genetic Analyzer.


RESULTS
No statistically significant differences in the allelic distribution were found between sCAD patients and the controls.


CONCLUSIONS
Alleles of these 5 functional polymorphisms of MMPs seem not to be associated with structural alterations in the blood vessel wall of sCAD patients. However, this does not exclude a pathogenetic role for MMPs in sCAD via secondary factors such as cytokines that are able to induce these enzymes in cervical blood vessel walls.
Buss
Armin
A
Department of Neurology, Aachen University Medical School, Aachen, Germany. arminbuss@hotmail.com
Pech
Katrin
K
Roelver
Susanne
S
Bloemeke
Brunhilde
B
Klotzsch
Christoph
C
Breuer
Sebastian
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000483:Alleles; D020215:Carotid Artery, Internal, Dissection / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D053505:Matrix Metalloproteinases, Secreted / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic
D053505:Matrix Metalloproteinases, Secreted