Polymorphisms of the MMP2 and MMP9 genes in the development of aortic aneurysm in patients with bicuspid aortic valve

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