[Detection of serum levels of MMP-9 and VEGF in patients with bladder cancer].
OBJECTIVE
To detect serum levels of MMP-9 and VEGF in patients with bladder cancer.


METHODS
Serum levels of MMP-9 and VEGF in 58 patients with bladder cancer and 45 healthy controls were measured by sandwich-ELISA.


RESULTS
Serum levels of MMP-9 and VEGF (737.12 micro g/L and 1148.88 ng/L) were significantly higher in the cancer patients than those of controls (423.51 micro g/L and 846.96 ng/L, P < 0.01). The serum levels were associated with tumor stage and grade. In patients with invasive cancer, the levels were significantly higher than those of superficial cancer (P < 0.01). Patients with distant metastasis had significantly higher levels of MMP-9 and VEGF than those with localized invasion (P < 0.01). But there was no significant difference between patients with superficial cancer and controls. Patients with G(3) tumors had significantly higher levels of MMP-9 and VEGF than those of patients with G(1) and G(2) tumors (P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Elevated MMP-9 and VEGF levels are associated with a high stage and grade of bladder cancer and they may serve as markers of tumor progression in the future.
Guan
Kao-peng
KP
Department of Urology, People's Hospital of Peking University, Beijing 100044, China.
Hou
Shu-kun
SK
Yan
Zheng
Z
Ye
Hai-yun
HY
D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood*
D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9