MMP9 and atherosclerosis: Previous studies found that the degradation of ApoC‐II by MMPs may play an important role in the development of pathophysiological conditions with Apo‐CII deficiency such as atherosclerosis, thus MMPs are directly involved in the accumulation of cholesterol in atherosclerotic lesions11; also, a silenced Apo‐CIII could increase the activity of MMP‐9.12