title: Influence of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) on the metastatic behavior of oropharyngeal cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The role of the single matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in the metastatic process of squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) is still obscure.
  
  
  METHODS
  The MMP-9 expression was described immunohistochemically in 105 patients (40-79 years of age, mean: 57.84 years; 84 male, 21 female) suffering from orophatyngeal cancer (22x TI, 31x T2, 24x T3, 28x T4) with different neck stages (41x N0, 6x N1, 54x N2, 4x N3 neck).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant correlation between MMP-9 expression and T stage (p < 0.05), N stage (r = 0.55, p < 0.01) and UICC stage (r = 0.55, p < 0.01) was revealed. Most remarkable was the high MMP-9 expression with simultaneously high UICC stages.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results give further indication that MMP-9 plays a role in the metastatic behavior of oropharyngeal SCC. It will be a project for the near future to create a standardized evaluation score of immuno-histological stainings to allow valid comparison of the results and published data.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Dünne
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gröbe
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Sesterhenn
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Barth
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dalchow
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Werner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009959:Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9