Association between serum matrix metalloproteinase-9 and poor prognosis in acute ischemic stroke patients: The role of dyslipidemia.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Whether the prognostic value of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) is modified by patients' dyslipidemia status is unknown. The aim of present study was to evaluate the prognostic effect of MMP-9 among ischemic stroke patients stratified by dyslipidemia status.

METHODS AND RESULTS

MMP-9 levels were measured for 2977 acute ischemic stroke patients from 26 participating hospitals across China, and data of clinical outcomes within one year after ischemic stroke was collected. The primary outcome was a composite outcome of major disability and death at one year after stroke onset, and secondary outcomes were major disability, death, vascular events and recurrent stroke. The association between MMP-9 and primary outcome was appreciably modified by dyslipidemia status (P = 0.048). After multivariate adjustment, increased MMP-9 level was associated with increased risk of primary outcome at one year after ischemic stroke in the patients with dyslipidemia (odds ratio, 1.34; 95% confidence interval, 1.06-1.79), but not in those without dyslipidemia (odds ratio, 1.23; 95% confidence interval, 0.90-1.68). Increased MMP-9 was also significantly associated with major disability, death and vascular events in the patients with dyslipidemia but not in those without dyslipidemia (P for interaction < 0.05 for all).

CONCLUSION

Increased MMP-9 was associated with poor prognosis within one-year after stroke only in patients with dyslipidemia, suggesting that the prognostic value of MMP-9 be modified by dyslipidemia status of ischemic stroke patients. Further prospective study from other populations and randomized clinical trials are needed to verify our findings and clarify the potential mechanisms.