The Relationship Between Serum MMP-9 And Carotid Atherosclerosis And Plaque Stability In Patients With Acute Cerebral Infarction

Objective To investigate serum matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) level in cerebral infarction patients with different characteristic carotid atherosclerotic plaques ; to explore the relationship between carotid atherosclerotic plaque stability and serum inflammatory marker MMP-9 level and cerebral infarction ;to testify whether MMP-9 is a clinical risk marker of plaque instability,rupture and secondary acute ischemic cerebrovascular disease.Methods According to enrolling criterias we selected 48 patients with acute cerebral infarction(CI group), 20 patients with chronic cerebral circulation insufficiency(CCCI group), and 20 healthy cases as a normal control group. All subjects were detected the characteristic and number of atherosclerotic plaques and the intima-media thickness in the carotid artery by Doppler ultrasonography. According to the results, CI group was divided into three subgroups, including no plaque group, stable plaque group and unstable plaque group. All subjects were measured serum MMP-9 concentrations with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Results The plaque detection rate(81.25%),unstable plaque rate(51.28%) and the serum MMP-9 lever of patients in CI group were significantly higher than the normal control group; The plaque detection rate and the serum MMP-9 lever of patients in CI group were significantly higher than the CCCI group;The serum MMP-9 levers in unstable plaque group and stable plaque group were significantly higher than no plaque group,and the serum MMP-9 lever in unstable plaque group was significantly higher than stable plaque group.Conclusions Carotid Atherosclerosis is closely related to the occurrence of cerebral infarction, unstable plaque is an important risk factor for cerebral infarction. The serum levels of MMP-9 are difference in cerebral infarction patients with different characteristic carotid atherosclerotic plaques. MMP-9 participates in the formation of atherosclerosis and plaque instability,rupture and secondary cerebral thrombosis. So the serum MMP-9 may be a potential serum marker of unstable atherosclerotic plaques and cerebral infarction.