HYPERTENSION AND COVID-19: THE POSSIBLE ROLE OF METALLOPROTEINASE-9 IN COVID-19 PATHOPHYSIOLOGY. (April 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mesquita, Carolina Dávila; Do Couto, Ariel Emiliano Souza; Campos, Ligia Borges; Mora, Bruno Cesar Petroski; Mestriner, Fabiola; Vasconcelo, Tauana Fernandes; Barbosa, Jessyca Michelon; Corsi, Carlos Curylofo; Ferro, Denise; Ribeiro, Mauricio Serra; Menegueti, Mayra Gonçalves; Martins, M. Auxiliadora; Becari, Christiane
• Is Part Of: Journal of hypertension. Volume 39(2021)e-Supplement 1
• Publication Date: 2021-04
• Subjects: Hypertension -- Periodicals; Hypertension -- Periodicals; 616.132005
• DOI: 10.1097/01.hjh.0000744756.65553.0f
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1473-5598

Abstract

Abstract : Objective: The pathophysiological mechanism of acute lung injury in COVID-19 includes a cascade of local and systemic responses with activation of several pro-inflammatory cytokines, including metalloproteinases. The aim of this study is investigate the role of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) in plasma from patients with severe COVID-19 hospitalized in a Brazilian ICU. Design and method: The study was designed to analyze the MMP-9 plasmatic in COVID-19 severe infection. Epidemiological data and blood samples were obtained from 42 subjects hospitalized in the ICU with clinically SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed by RT-PCR (COVID), and 15 healthy subjects (Control). Zymography methods obtained the MMP-9 plasma activity. Continuous variables are shown by mean ± STDV and analyzed by the Mann-Whitney test. Categorical variables were compared by the Chi-squared test. The MMMP-9 activity is shown in the log of normalized and analyzed by unpaired T-test. Two-way ANOVA was used to analyze subgroups divided by gender, age greater or less than the median 60.4-year-old, hypertensive or normotensive, non-obese or obese. Results: The COVID and Control groups did not differ significantly by age (62.6 ± 13vs.57.6 ± 12.2 years old, p = 0.097) and BMI (30.3 ± 6.1vs.29.33 ± 5.7 kg/m2, p = 0.338). The COVID group has fewer women than the Control group (28..6%vs.80%, p = 0.0008). The COVID subjects with hypertension were 42% vs.67% in the Control group (p = 0, 2), and diabetes was similar in both groups. The hospital stay in the COVID group was 14.5 ± 11.5 days and the hospitalization death rate was 32.5%. The COVID-19 group has shown an increase in MMP-9 activity compared with the Control group (0.38 ± 0.072 UA; 95%CI = 0.23–0.52, p < 0.0001). The MMP-9 activity increasing was independent of gender (p = 0.45), age (p = 0.93), BMI (p = 0.3) or hypertension (p = 0.6) and dependent of the COVID-19 infection (p < 0.0001). Therefore, our data are showing that the COVID-19 infection was responsible for MMP-9 improvement in plasma of severe COVID-19 infection (p < 0.0001) while all different analyses consistently showed a significant effect of COVID-19 infection (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: There is a significant increase in the MMP-9 plasmatic activity in severe COVID-19 patients independently of sex, age, obesity, and hypertension. Therefore, MMP-9 may be a potential new target for acute lung injury therapy in patients with COVID-19.