Clinical significance of serum levels of matrix metalloproteinase-9 in the patients with acute coronary syndrome

Objective To investigate the clinical significance of serum levels of matrix metalloproteinase-9(MMP-9) in the patients with acute coronary syndrome(ACS).Methods The levels of MMP-9 in the patients with acute coronary syndrome,the patients with stable angina pectoris(SAP) and the control subjects were measured with enzyme-linked immunoassay(ELISA).Results There was significantly difference in the levels between three groups(P0.001),serum MMP-9 levels in the ACS group(284.30±64.60 ng/ml) was significantly higher than that in the SAP group(169.80±35.20 ng/ml)(P0.001) and in the control group(164.40±33.80 ng/ml)(P0.001);there was no significantly difference in serum MMP-9 levels between SAP group and control group(P=0.922).From mild grade to mid grade then severe grade,the patients were arranged to the SAP group,unstable angina pectoris group and acute myocardial infarction group.With Spearman rank correlation,positive correlation was fund between serum MMP-9 levels and the severity degrees of coronary heart events(r=0.762,P0.001).Conclusion The elevated serum MMP-9 levels of the patients with coronary heart disease can be conducted as a dangerous signal in the onset of ACS,and as an important biochemical monitoring index in dangerous gradation of the patients with coronary heart disease.