Patient Characteristics
Of the patients with intramural hematoma (n=225), one hundred and sixty-six patients were diagnosed with uncomplicated acute IMHBs and included. In total, 149 out of 157 patients completed the follow-up at the end of the study. These patients were classified into two groups (DM group [n=60] and non-DM group [n=89]) according to whether they had DM or not. The median follow-up times for each group were as follows: DM group (38.0 months, 95% confidence interval [CI], 36.8-39.1 months) and non-DM group (39.0 months, 95% CI, 36.7-41.2 months). Compared to those without DM, the patients with DM had higher hypertension rate (72% vs 53%, P =0.021) and had lower CRP levels (5.7±1.5 vs 11.3±2.9 mg/dL, P <0.001) and lower white blood cell counts (14.2±1.9 vs 18.3±3.7 10^9/L, P <0.001). The geometric measurements of the aorta indicated that patients the non-DM group had larger ascending aortas (39.9±3.8 vs 37.9±2.5 mm,P <0.001) and descending aortas (37.9±3.5 vs 34.9±2.8 mm, P <0.001) and thicker hematomas (9.5±1.2 vs 7.0±1.3 mm, P <0.001) than those in the DM group. The other demographic characteristics such as concomitant diseases and medical treatment strategy were similar between the two groups (Table 1 ). In the DM group, although the MMP-9 level of DM group reached the highest level (day 14) early than that in the non-DM group (day 90), the MMP-9 levels of DM group were lower than non-DM group at each timepoint (P< 0. 001, Figure 2A ), and non-DM group had a 2-fold higher level of MMP-9 after the day 90 (Figure 2A ).