Levels of tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases type 1, matrix metalloproteinase type 7 and anthropometric parameters in practically healthy women and women with arterial hypertension in the older age group

Multiple studies are currently, aimed at studying the mechanisms of the development of basic age-related pathologies, e.g., arterial hypertension (AH). We found no literature sources concerning associations between the levels of matrix metalloproteinase type 7 (MMP-7), tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases type (TIMP-1) and anthropometric data which could be useful for diagnosing age-associated, socially dependent diseases and metabolic disorders. The article presents the data on the state of proteolysis system and anthropometric data of 45 almost healthy women and 45 women with arterial hypertension (AH) aged from 59 to 74 years old. The levels of MMP-7 and TIMP-1 in blood serum were studied by sandwich-variant of ELISA test. The waist and neck volume were measured three times with a centimeter tape at an accuracy of 1 cm. Statistical processing of the obtained data was performed using analytical software IBM SPSS Statistics, v. 22.0. The results show some correlations between the levels of MMP-7 and TIMP-1, and the waist and neck sizes (WC). Lower levels of MMP-7 and TIMP-1 were registered in the group of practically healthy women as compared to the second (AH) study group (p < 0.01). Anthropometric data were not markedly diverse: the waist size in the group of healthy women was less than in AH group (p < 0.05), and values of neck volume did not differ significantly between the groups. When assessing the relationships in the group of practically healthy women, we recorded a direct significant correlation between the waist size and neck volume (r = 0.754, p < 0.0001), while in the group of women with AH this relationship was weaker (r = 0.5782, p < 0.0001). In addition, a similar correlation was found between MMP-7 and TIMP-1 levels in the both groups studied. In the group of healthy women this relationship was of medium strength (r = 0.657, p < 0.0001), whereas in the group of women with AH it was stronger (r = 0.720, p < 0.0001). The data obtained suggest the presence of metabolic disorders in the women with arterial hypertension and signs of proteolytic enzyme system disorders.