Abstract
BACKGROUND: Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) increases the risk of thoracic-aortic dilatation/aneurysm and aortic dissection. In the pathogenesis of aortic aneurysm, matrix metalloproteinases have been found to play a role in the degradation of aortic wall proteins. Thus, this study aimed to investigate MMP2 and MMP9 gene polymorphisms in patients with BAV and ascending aortic aneurysm. METHODS: Overall, 83 patients (36 patients admitted to the outpatient clinic and 47 controls) participated in this study. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral leukocytes using the MagNA Pure LC DNA Isolation Kit I on the MagNA Pure LC Instrument (Roche Applied Science). MMP2 (C1306T) and MMP9 (C1562T) gene polymorphisms were analyzed using the LightCycler(®) 480 High-Resolution Melting Master Kit (Roche Applied Science) with specific primers. RESULTS: Both groups had similar sex distribution (p=0.601). Hypertension and smoking were more common in patients with MMP9 polymorphism (p<0.001; p=0.011). A statistically significant relationship was found between smoking, hypertension, and MMP9 gene expression. However, no significant relationship was noted between MMP2 and aneur ysm diameter, hypertension, smoking, and antihypertensive drug use. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that increased aneurysm diameters and MMP9 gene polymorphism are potential predictors of aneurysm development in patients with BAV.