Expression of MMP-7 and MT1-MMP in oral squamous cell carcinoma as predictive indicator for tumor invasion and prognosis.
BACKGROUND
Squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity is a highly invasive neoplasm that spreads locally and metastasizes to regional lymph nodes. This process involves multiple proteolytic enzymes including matrilysin (MMP-7) and membrane type I-matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP). This study was designed to explore the association between MMP-7 and MT1-MMP in the invasiveness and prognosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).


METHODS
About 4-microM, formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections from 69 patients with OSCC were immunohistochemically studied using specific antibodies against MMP-7 and MT1-MMP proteins. Immunostaining was semiquantitatively scored, and results were correlated with histologic and clinical variables including clinical behavior and survival.


RESULTS
MMP-7 was observed only in cancer cells, and MT1-MMP in both tumoral tissue and stroma. MMP-7 expression was significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis (P = 0.03; RR = 3.2). MT1-MMP showed a significant association with TIMP-2 (in N+ cases) and p53 expression (P = 0.01). MMP-7 and MT1-MMP displayed a survival relevance, and in multivariate analysis they were independent prognostic indicators, particularly in neck node-positive cases.
de Vicente
J-C
JC
Servicio de Cirugía Maxilofacial, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Facultad de Medicina y Odontología, Instituto Universitario de Oncología del Principado de Asturias, Oviedo, Spain. jvicente@uniovi.es
Lequerica-Fernández
P
P
Santamaría
J
J
Fresno
M-F
MF
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D053511:Matrix Metalloproteinase 14 / Q000032:analysis*; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 / Q000032:analysis; D020783:Matrix Metalloproteinase 7 / Q000032:analysis*; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000032:analysis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D019715:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 / Q000032:analysis; D019716:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-2 / Q000032:analysis; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000032:analysis
D019715:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D019716:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-2; D020783:Matrix Metalloproteinase 7; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9; D053511:Matrix Metalloproteinase 14