title: Matrix metalloproteinase levels in chronic thoracic aortic dissection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Imbalance between matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of MMPs (TIMPs) can lead to aortic wall failure. We hypothesized that patients with aneurysms resulting from chronic descending thoracic aortic dissection have elevated tissue and plasma levels of specific MMPs and decreased tissue levels of TIMPs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Aortic tissue was obtained from 25 patients who required surgical repair of descending thoracic aortic aneurysm due to chronic aortic dissection and from 17 organ-donor controls without aortic disease. Tissue levels of MMP-1, -2, -3, -9, -12, and -13 and TIMP-1 and -2 were measured by colorimetric activity assay or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and confirmed by Western blot and immunohistochemistry. Blood obtained from the 25 patients and 15 controls without aortic diseases was used to compare plasma levels of MMP-3, -9, and -12.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Total MMP-1, total MMP-9, and active MMP-9 levels were higher and total MMP-2 levels were lower in dissection tissue than in control tissue. Additionally, the MMP-9 to TIMP-1 and active to total MMP-2 ratios were higher and the MMP-2 to TIMP-2 ratio was lower in dissection tissue. Furthermore, patients had higher plasma active to total MMP-9 ratios than the controls. Age and hypertension were associated with increased MMP levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increased levels of several MMPs and increased MMP to TIMP ratios in aortic tissue from patients suggest an environment that favors proteolysis, which may promote progressive extracellular matrix destruction and medial degeneration after aortic dissection. An elevated active to total MMP-9 ratio in plasma may be a biomarker for end-stage aneurysm development in patients with chronic thoracic aortic disease.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas; Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Texas Heart Institute, Houston, Texas; Department of Pathophysiology, Shandong University School of Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas; Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Texas Heart Institute, Houston, Texas; Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Darrell
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas; Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Texas Heart Institute, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Justin C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Dan L. Duncan Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Charles G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Minard
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas; Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Texas Heart Institute, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Xinguo
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas; Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Texas Heart Institute, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Joseph S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Coselli
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas; Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Texas Heart Institute, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Ying H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas; Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Texas Heart Institute, Houston, Texas; Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas. Electronic address: slemaire@bcm.edu.
authors.forename: Scott A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: LeMaire
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000097:blood / Q000201:enzymology*; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000201:enzymology*; D001014:Aortic Aneurysm / Q000097:blood / Q000201:enzymology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020782:Matrix Metalloproteinases / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D019714:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinases / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D019714:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinases; D020782:Matrix Metalloproteinases
keywords: Aortic dissection; Matrix metalloproteinase; Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases
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