Serum Levels of Matrix Metalloproteinases 2 and 9 and <i>TGFBR2</i> Gene Screening in Patients with Ascending Aortic Dilatation

Šímová, Jana; Škvor, J.; Reissigová, J.; Dudra, J.; Lindner, J.; Čapek, P.; Zvárová, J.

doi:10.14712/fb2013059040154

Folia Biologica > Archive > 2013, Vol. 59 > Issue 4 > Serum Levels of Matrix…

Fol. Biol. 2013, 59, 154-161

https://doi.org/10.14712/fb2013059040154

Serum Levels of Matrix Metalloproteinases 2 and 9 and TGFBR2 Gene Screening in Patients with Ascending Aortic Dilatation

Jana Šímová¹, J. Škvor², J. Reissigová³, J. Dudra⁴, J. Lindner⁵, P. Čapek^1,6, J. Zvárová³

¹Department of Anthropology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic
²Institute of Biophysics and Informatics, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic
³European Centre of Medical Informatics, Statistics and Epidemiology, Department of Medical Informatics and Biostatistics, Institute of Computer Science AS CR, v. v. i., Prague, Czech Republic
⁴Educational and Research Institute AGEL – Centre for Applied Genomics, Czech Republic
⁵2nd Department of Surgery – Department of Cardiovascular Surgery of the First Faculty of Medicine and General University Hospital in Prague, Czech Republic
⁶Institute of Criminalistics Prague, Department of Genetics, Police of the Czech Republic

Received February 2013
Accepted March 2013

Development of ascending aortic dilatation (AAD) in about 10 % of patients operated for aortic valve disease (AVD) is probably based on intrinsic pathology of the aortic wall. This may involve an abnormality in the process of extracellular matrix remodelling. The present study evaluated the serum levels of specific metalloproteinases (MMP-2 and MMP-9) and investigated the gene for transforming growth factor receptor 2 (TGFBR2) in 28 patients with AVD associated with AAD (mean age 60.6 years), in 29 patients (68.9 years) with AVD without AAD, and in 30 healthy controls (45.3 years). The serum levels of MMPs were determined by ELISA. Further, we focused on genetic screening of the TGFBR2 gene. Plasma MMP-2 concentrations were significantly higher in the groups of patients compared to the controls: median 1315.0 (mean 1265.2 ± SD 391.3) in AVD with AAD, 1240.0 (1327.8 ± 352.5) in AVD without AAD versus 902.5 (872.3 ± 166.2) ng/ml in the healthy controls, in both cases P < 0.001. The serum levels of MMP-9 were significantly higher in AVD with AAD patients [107.0 (202.3 ± 313.0)] and in AVD without AAD patients [107.0 (185.8 ± 264.3)] compared to the healthy controls [14.5 (21.2 ± 24.8) ng/ml], in both cases P < 0.001. No significant correlation was observed between plasma MMP-2 and MMP-9 and ascending aorta diameter. Genetic screening did not reveal any variation in the TGFBR2 gene in the patients. Measurement of MMP levels is a simple and relatively rapid laboratory test that could be used as a biochemical indicator when evaluated in combination with imaging techniques.

Keywords

aortic dilatation, MMP-2, MMP-9, TGFBR2.

Funding

The research was partially supported by the projects LN00B107 and 1M06014 of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic and by the long-term strategic development financing of the Institute of Computer Science (RVO:67985807).