MMP-9 microsatellite polymorphism: Association with the progression of intima-media thickening and constrictive remodeling of carotid atherosclerotic plaques

• Published in: Atherosclerosis Vol. 182; no. 2; pp. 287 - 292
• Main Authors: Fiotti, Nicola, Altamura, Nicola, Fisicaro, Maurizio, Carraro, Nicola, Adovasio, Roberto, Sarra, Vittoria Maria, Uxa, Laura, Guarnieri, Gianfranco, Baxter, Bernard Timothy, Giansante, Carlo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01.10.2005; Elsevier
• Subjects: Aged; Atherosclerosis; Atherosclerosis (general aspects, experimental research); Biological and medical sciences; Blood and lymphatic vessels; Cardiology. Vascular system; Carotid arteries; Carotid Artery Diseases - epidemiology; Carotid Artery Diseases - genetics; Carotid Artery Diseases - pathology; Coronary heart disease; Disease Progression; Female; Genetic Predisposition to Disease - epidemiology; Heart; Humans; Intimal-medial thickening; Male; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 - genetics; Medical sciences; Metalloproteinases; Microsatellite Repeats; Middle Aged; Neurology; Plaque; Polymorphism; Polymorphism, Genetic; Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; Risk Factors; Stroke; Tunica Intima - pathology; Tunica Media - pathology; Vascular diseases and vascular malformations of the nervous system; Stroke; Atherosclerosis; Metalloproteinases; Intimal-medial thickening; Carotid arteries; Plaque; Polymorphism; Stenosis; Metalloendopeptidases; Cardiovascular disease; Lipids; Vascular disease; Atherosclerotic plaque; Blood vessel; Dyslipemia; Cerebrovascular disease; Thickening; Human; Nervous system diseases; Enzyme; Metabolic diseases; Artery; Gelatinase B; Cerebral disorder; Peptidases; Carotid; Central nervous system disease; Hydrolases; Circulatory system
• ISSN: 0021-9150; 1879-1484
• DOI: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2005.01.009

Intima-media thickening (IMT) of carotid arteries and constrictive remodeling (CR) of atherosclerotic plaques are vascular pathologic characteristics that precede the onset of vascular events. SMC migration and proliferation are linked both to IMT and CR and are matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) dependent. A genetic polymorphism (PM) of MMP-9, a CA (13–27) microsatellite in the promoter region, which accounts for differential expression of MMP-9, could be linked to progression of IMT and CR. Progression of IMT and CR of plaques in carotid arteries were studied in 55 consecutive patients with a 12–18 months follow-up. All patients were genotyped for MMP-9 PM. A positive linear relationship between the number of repeats and the progression of IMT ( P = 0.028) as well as of CR ( P = 0.018) was found. The analogous relationship was obtained when only the allele with longer microsatellite was considered. Carriers of more than 20 repeats in one allele showed faster both IMT growth ( P = 0.045) and stenosis progressions of plaques ( P = 0.019). In multivariate analysis, age, dyslipidemia, and MMP-9 PM were determinants of IMT progression, while MMP-9 PM was the only one of CR. In conclusion, the high number of CA repeats in MMP-9 promoter is positively correlated with faster IMT and CR progression.