Clinical significance of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in patients with oral cancer.
BACKGROUND
Factors that represent the potential for invasion and metastasis, such as matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), could predict prognosis of cancer. Therefore, the authors studied plasma and tissue levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in oral cancer, the leading malignancy in India.


METHODS
Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and gelatin zymography were used for the MMP analysis from plasma and tissue samples, respectively.


RESULTS
Latent, active, and total forms and activation ratio of MMP-2 and MMP-9 were significantly elevated in malignant tissues as compared with adjacent normal tissues. Activation of MMP-2 was higher than MMP-9 in malignant tissues. Activation ratio was significantly higher in malignant tissues of the patients with lymph node metastasis as compared with those without lymph node metastasis (p = .005). Plasma MMP-9 levels were significantly lower in responders as compared with pretreatment levels (p = .002).


CONCLUSIONS
The data indicate that MMP-2 and MMP-9 can be useful to identify metastatic phenotype as well as for treatment monitoring in oral cancer.
Patel
Beena P
BP
Biochemistry Research Division, Gujarat Cancer and Research Institute, Asarwa, Ahmedabad 380 016, India.
Shah
Shakuntala V
SV
Shukla
Shilin N
SN
Shah
Pankaj M
PM
Patel
Prabhudas S
PS
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000378:metabolism; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009055:Mouth / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9