title: Plasma MMP-9 (92 kDa-MMP) activity is useful in the follow-up and in the assessment of prognosis in breast cancer patients.
abstract: Previously we determined that plasma MMP-9 activity was significantly elevated in breast cancer patients compared to benign mammary pathologies and healthy controls. Now we analyzed its potential usefulness in the follow-up and in the prognosis of these patients. MMP-9 activity was measured by gelatin quantitative zymography in the euglobulin plasma fraction of 46 breast cancer patients in a 38-month follow-up study. Blood samples were obtained before surgery (S1), 1 month after (S2) and every 3 months. The relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) analysis was performed along 56 months in 113 patients using the Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox analysis. In 63% of the S2 analyzed, MMP-9 decreased after surgery. In 44 patients evaluated during the adjuvant period who developed a complete response, MMP-9 decreased compared to their S1, whereas 2 patients showed an enhancement in correlation with lack of response. Further analysis indicated that in all patients who never showed evidence of recurrence, plasma MMP-9 activity remained low, but it increased 1 to 8 months preceding the clinical detection of progression in those patients who relapsed. Kaplan-Meier curves indicated that high levels of plasma MMP-9 activity at the moment of breast cancer diagnosis were associated with a worse OS rate. Cox analysis showed it was not associated with tumor stage or patient's age. Our results, which show a good correlation between plasma MMP-9 activity and the clinical status of each patient, suggest its usefulness as a marker both in the follow-up and in the prognosis of breast cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: Research Area, Institute of Oncology "Angel H. Roffo," University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Stella Maris
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Ranuncolo
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Armanasco
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cresta
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bal De Kier Joffe
authors.forename: Lydia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Puricelli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D018275:Carcinoma, Lobular / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005780:Gelatin / Q000378:metabolism; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012712:Serum Globulins / Q000378:metabolism; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D012712:Serum Globulins; D005780:Gelatin; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9