Circulating levels of VCAM and MMP-2 may help identify patients with more aggressive prostate cancer.
BACKGROUND
Prostate adenocarcinoma is generally characterized by slow progression although some phenotypes have a more aggressive behavior with tendency to local invasion and distant metastases, mainly to bones. Better specific care could be provided to the aggressive phenotype-group of patients if pre-surgical identification were available.


METHODS
Correlations between pre-surgical levels of 6 blood molecules and pathological tumour staging, post-surgical Gleason score and disease-free survival have been observed. Plasma and sera from 162 men affected by prostate adenocarcinoma were analysed with ELISA to assess levels of neovascularization-related molecule (VEGF), endothelial cell adhesion molecule (VCAM), extracellular matrix destruction-related molecules (MMP-2, MMP-9), and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase (TIMP-1 and TIMP-2).


RESULTS
The median values of serum determinations were for VEGF 279 pg/ml, VCAM 633 ng/ml, MMP-2 206 ng/ml and MMP-9 614 ng/ml. Plasma medians (ng/ml) were 94 for TIMP-1 and 90 for TIMP-2. Patients with VCAM values > 633 ng/ml had a worse disease-free survival than patients with values <633 ng/ml with an adjusted Hazard Ratio of 2.1, significant (95% confidence interval 0.8-5.6). Patients with levels of MMP-2 < 206 ng/ml showed an increased risk of progression (adjusted HR 1.7; 95% C.I. 0.6-4.8).


CONCLUSIONS
Levels of VCAM and MMP-2 should be checked in patients with prostate adenocarcinoma, because distant spread is more likely to occur in patients with high levels of VCAM and low levels of MMP-2. The scientific community should further investigate impact on prognosis of VCAM and MMP-2.
De Cicco
Concetta
C
Division of Nuclear Medicine, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy. concetta.de-cicco@ieo.it
Ravasi
Laura
L
Zorzino
Laura
L
Sandri
Maria Teresa
MT
Botteri
Edoardo
E
Verweij
Fabrizio
F
Granchi
Donatella
D
de Cobelli
Ottavio
O
Paganelli
Giovanni
G
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 / Q000097:blood*; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010641:Phenotype; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011468:Prostatectomy; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013997:Time Factors; D019715:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 / Q000097:blood; D019716:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-2 / Q000097:blood; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D019715:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D019716:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-2; C522361:MMP2 protein, human; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9