MMP9 and heart failure: Figure 1 presents the results of a comparison of the transcriptional activity of the metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) gene in patients with coronary-angiography-excluded coronary artery disease (A), patients with coronary artery disease without heart failure (B) and patients with coronary artery disease and heart failure (C) evaluated by QRT-PCR in peripheral blood mononuclear cells.