Analysis of Matrix Metalloproteinase-8 Gene Polymorphisms and Their Association with Long-Term Survival, Clinical Phenotype, and Disease Risk in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease.

Matrix metalloproteinase-8 (MMP-8), a neutrophil-derived collagenase responsible for the degradation of type I and III collagen, is involved in extracellular matrix remodeling, which may contribute to the destabilization of atherosclerotic plaques and thereby promote the development and progression of coronary artery disease (CAD). Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the MMP-8 gene may influence the expression and activity of this enzyme, potentially affecting disease risk, clinical manifestation, and long-term prognosis. The study group included 259 patients diagnosed with CAD and 239 control blood donors. Genotyping of MMP-8 polymorphisms (rs1940475 and rs11225395) was performed using TaqMan PCR. MMP-8 gene polymorphisms showed no association with CAD risk, disease severity, or patient survival at the 5- or 10-year follow-up. All studied polymorphisms are located within the same haplotype block, where commonly co-inherited alleles (T rs1940475 and A rs11225395) may exert opposing functional effects. In conclusion, these findings suggest no significant role of the analyzed MMP-8 gene variants in CAD susceptibility or prognosis in the studied group.