The rapid growth rate of ascending aortic aneurysm tissue in female patients has previously been attributed to a combination of higher activity of matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9 and lower tissue inhibitor metalloproteinases [33], with further degeneration accelerated by the decrease in endogenous estrogen levels in women of peri- and post-menopausal age [34,35]. Here, MMP2 is linked to Ascending tubular aorta aneurysm.