Serum levels of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -9 in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
BACKGROUND
Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMPs) have been implicated as playing an important role in cancer invasion and metastasis. MMPs have been identified in a wide variety of malignancies including head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC).


METHODS
We investigated the circulating level of MMP-2 (gelatinase A or 72-kD type IV collagenase) and MMP-9 (gelatinase B or 92-kD type IV collagenase) in sera from patients with various head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (n = 86) as well as from healthy normal controls (n = 47). Serum MMP concentrations were determined as serum immunoreactivity by using a quantitative sandwich enzyme immunoassay technique. For statistical analysis, the t-test and Kruskal-Wallis test were performed.


RESULTS
The majority of the patients with HNSCC were found to have high concentrations of serum MMP-9. The levels of MMP-9 in the sera of patients with cancer ranged from 39 to 1547 ng/ml (mean, 417 ng/ml). In contrast, the MMP-9 serum levels in 47 healthy individuals ranged from 30 to 537 ng/ml (mean, 189 ng/ml), MMP-9 serum concentration being significantly higher in HNSCC patients (p = 0.001). MMP-9 serum concentrations of patients with advanced stage HNSCC were significantly higher (p = 0.0449) compared to patients with early stage cancer. No significant difference of MMP-2 serum levels was seen when comparing HNSCC patients and normal controls.


CONCLUSIONS
The present data indicate that the elevation of serum levels of MMP-9, but not MMP-2, may be a useful marker for clinical monitoring of HNSCC patients.
Riedel
F
F
Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital of Mannheim, Germany. frank.riedel@hno.ma.uni-heidelberg.de
Götte
K
K
Schwalb
J
J
Hörmann
K
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000097:blood / Q000145:classification / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000145:classification / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 / Q000097:blood*; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging
D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9