Are elevated plasma levels of MMP-7 and MMP-12 associated with atherosclerotic burden and cardiovascular disease in subjects with type 2 diabetes?
MMP-7 and MMP-12 are potential biomarkers for assessing atherosclerosis burden and cardiovascular disease risk in patients with type 2 diabetes.
The plasma level of MMP-7 and -12 are elevated in type 2 diabetes mellitus, associated with more severe atherosclerosis and an increased incidence of coronary events. These observations provide clinical support to previous experimental studies, demonstrating a role for these MMPs in plaque development, and suggest that they are potential biomarkers of atherosclerosis burden and cardiovascular disease risk.
Gonçalves et al. (Fri,) studied this question.