MMP9 and peripheral arterial disease: Supporting these results, Chung AWY et al. reported an upregulation of MMP-2 and MMP-9 gene expression and gelatinolytic activity in mammary arteries of diabetic patients, that correlated positively with that of angiostatin, an antiangiogenic molecule, and negatively with VEGF, contributing likewise to impair blood vessel formation and PAD development in diabetic patients [72].