Relationship Between Matrix Metalloproteinase And Various Carotid Plaque Vulnerability

Backgroud and Objectives:Cerebrovascular disease (CVD) is a major killer of human health, and most of it is ischemic cerebrovascular disease (ICVD), which has the characteristics of high rate of incidence, high disability, high fatality and high recurrence. The prevention and cure of ICVD is the important topic of clinical doctors. The most frequent carotid pathological change is atherosclerotic plaque. The plaque can make lumina stenosis, which causes ischemia of blood-supply of encephalic region, meanwhile, defluxion of atheromatous plaque will cause embolism of intracal blood vessel, both of which will cause ischemic stroke. Therefore, dealing with carotid scleratheroma pathological change positively, correcting lumina stenosis, avoiding defluxion of atheromatous plaque has been the significance topic of aesculapians of neurology,neurosurgery,vascular surgery, and intervention radiology departments.Nowadays, many scholars change their attention from carotid stenosis causing ischemic stroke to vulnerability of plaque causing stroke. Midrange stenosis of stable carotid plaque is innocent, but vulnerable plaque will result in ischemic stroke, even though the stenosis is not serious. The definition of vulnerable plaque is the plaque which can make thrombogenesis, or which can become criminal process quickly. We can classify carotid plaque with CDI (color Doppler imaging), MRA (magnetic resonance angiography), DSA (digital substraction angiography), integrating cranial CT (computed tomography), MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), and clinical manifestation judging vulnerability of plaque synthetically. But at present, we have not a nice serum index to forecast and judge the vulnerability of plaque. Research of domestic and international indicated that matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) has intimate relationship with carotid plaque vulnerability. That multiple phlegmasia cell inside vulnerable plaque secrete ponderosus MMPs, which cause plaque disruption or thrombus defluxion is high risk factor of cerebral infarction.