Serum markers of connective tissue metabolism in progression of chronic heart failure in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary diseasecombined with arterial hypertension

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the changes of protease-antiprotease system in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in combination with arterial hypertension (AH) while progression of chronic heart failure (HF). Conclusions. The progression of HF in patients with AH and COPD is accompanied by the decrease of the proteolysis inhibitor α2-macroglobulin along with high activity of connective tissue degradation processes as observed by increased MMP-9. The observed protease-antiprotease imbalance in patients with AH and COPD causes the changes in extracellular matrix proteins metabolism, resulting in myocardial remodeling, that underlies the pathogenesis of HF.