title: Correlation between plasma angiopoietin-1, angiopoietin-2 and matrix metalloproteinase-2 in coronary heart disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) plays a critical role in inducing tumor cell infiltration, and this invasive phenotype is caused by up-regulation of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2. The relationship between Ang-2 and MMP-2 in atherosclerosis has not been reported yet. The aim is to measure the plasma concentrations of Ang-1, Ang-2 and MMP-2 and assess the correlation between the concentrations of these factors in coronary heart disease (CHD) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The testing was done in a cross-sectional study. We prospectively enrolled 42 individuals with acute myocardial infarction, 42 individuals with unstable angina pectoris, 42 individuals with stable angina pectoris and 45 healthy control subjects. Concentrations of Ang-1, Ang-2 and MMP-2 were measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Spearman's rank correlation was calculated to evaluate the relationships between MMP-2 and Ang-1, and MMP-2 and Ang-2 in patients with CHD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with acute myocardial infarction and unstable angina pectoris had higher Ang-2 and MMP-2 levels compared with stable angina patients and healthy control subjects (p< 0.05), while concentrations of Ang-1 were not statistically different between the groups. Spearman's rank correlation showed that Ang-2 levels positively correlated with MMP-2 in patients with CHD (r= 0.679,p< 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Plasma Ang-2 and MMP-2 levels but not Ang-1 levels were increased in patients with CHD. Ang-1 correlated weakly with MMP-2, whereas the Ang-2 and MMP-2 correlation was strong in patients with CHD. Ang-2 may play a role in atherosclerosis, and have an interaction with MMP-2.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China; Department of Cardiology, The People's Hospital of Shaanxi Province, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
authors.forename: Haoyu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, The People's Hospital of Shaanxi Province, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
authors.forename: Xiling
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Shou
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, The People's Hospital of Shaanxi Province, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
authors.forename: Congxia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, The People's Hospital of Shaanxi Province, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
authors.forename: Xiaowei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, The People's Hospital of Shaanxi Province, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
authors.forename: Gong
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cheng
keywords: angiopoietin-1; angiopoietin-2; coronary heart disease; correlation; matrix metalloproteinase-2