title: High plasma levels of matrix metalloproteinase-8 in patients with unstable angina.
abstract: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play a role in collagen breakdown, leading to plaque instability. High levels of MMPs mRNA and proteins, especially MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-8, MMP-9, and MMP-13, were shown in human atherosclerotic plaques. However, among various MMPs, only MMP-1, MMP-8 and MMP-13, so-called interstitial collagenases, can initiate collagen breakdown. To elucidate whether MMP-1, MMP-8 and MMP-13 levels in blood were high in patients with unstable angina (UAP), we measured serum MMP-1 and plasma MMP-8 and MMP-13 levels in 45 patients with UAP, 175 with stable coronary artery disease (CAD), and 45 controls. Plasma C-reactive protein levels tended to be higher in patients with UAP than in those with stable CAD and controls (median 0.94 vs. 0.69 and 0.51mg/l). Regarding blood levels of MMPs, MMP-13 levels were above the lower detection limit in only one patient with UAP (2%), one with stable CAD (1%), and none in controls. MMP-1 levels did not differ among patients with UAP, stable CAD, and controls (median 4.8, 5.3, and 5.4ng/ml). Notably, MMP-8 levels were higher in patients with stable CAD than in controls (median 3.5ng/ml vs. 2.8ng/ml, P<0.005), however, MMP-8 levels in patients with UAP were much higher than those in stable CAD (3.9ng/ml vs. 3.5ng/ml, P<0.05). In multivariate analysis, MMP-8 level was an independent factor for UAP. Thus, plasma MMP-8 levels were found to be high in patients with UAP, suggesting that MMP-8 levels in UAP may reflect coronary plaque instability and that MMP-8 is a promising biomarker for UAP.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, National Hospital Organization Tokyo Medical Center, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan. ymomiyamajp@yahoo.co.jp
authors.forename: Yukihiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Momiyama
authors.forename: Reiko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ohmori
authors.forename: Nobukiyo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Ryuichi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Adachi
authors.forename: Haruo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Fumitaka
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ohsuzu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000789:Angina, Unstable / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020781:Matrix Metalloproteinase 1 / Q000097:blood; D053509:Matrix Metalloproteinase 13 / Q000097:blood; D020784:Matrix Metalloproteinase 8 / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D053509:Matrix Metalloproteinase 13; D020784:Matrix Metalloproteinase 8; D020781:Matrix Metalloproteinase 1