D-dimer, C-reactive protein and matrix metalloproteinase 9 for prediction of type A aortic dissection patient survival.

AIMS: Acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) is a life-threatening condition requiring prompt diagnosis and treatment. Surgery is an effective treatment for ATAAD, but the in-hospital mortality rate in the 30 day perioperative period is still as high as 9-30%. It is critical to identify biological factors for preoperative assessment of post-operative survival in patients with ATAAD. METHODS AND RESULTS: This is a retrospective study, investigating the association of combined measurements of d-dimer, C-reactive protein (CRP), and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) for 1 year of survival in patients with ATAAD. Data from 247 patients who underwent surgery were analysed, including 89 patients who did not survive and 158 patients who survived within 1 year after surgery. Pearson's correlation analysis was carried out to determine the correlations between CRP in whole blood, d-dimer in plasma, and CRP in whole blood. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to analyse the value of preoperative whole blood CRP, plasma d-dimer, and serum MMP9 concentration and the combined detection model in predicting death of patients with ATAAD. Deceased patients with ATAAD exhibited higher age, hypertension prevalence, systolic blood pressure, white blood cell count, whole blood CRP, plasma d-dimer, and serum MMP9 levels compared with survivors. Preoperative CRP, d-dimer, and MMP9 levels were significantly higher in patients with ATAAD compared with healthy controls. Positive correlations were observed between CRP and d-dimer, CRP and MMP9, and d-dimer and MMP9 in patients with ATAAD. ROC analysis showed that the combined detection model of CRP, d-dimer, and MMP9 had the highest predictive value for 1 year of survival (area under the curve = 0.88). CONCLUSIONS: Combined measurement of CRP, d-dimer, and MMP9 is associated with 1 year of survival in patients with ATAAD.