title: Impact of plasma tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 on long-term survival in patients with gastric cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The expression of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) is correlated with tumor invasion and metastases.
  
  
  METHODS
  The plasma TIMP-1 concentration was examined preoperatively in 149 patients with gastric cancer who underwent a surgical resection. The cutoff value of TIMP-1 was set at 112.5 ng/ml based on a previous report. These patients were followed up for more than 5 years prospectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plasma TIMP-1 was positive in 30 of the 149 patients (20.1%). The overall survival rate was 78.2% at 5 years in patients with negative plasma TIMP-1, while this rate was 26.7% at 5 years in patients with positive plasma TIMP-1. By univariate analyses, T, N, M, and R category, and TIMP-1, were significant prognosticators. Multivariate analyses demonstrated T, N, and TIMP-1 to be significant prognosticators. The survival curve was clearly separated with respect to TIMP-1.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that plasma TIMP-1 is a strong independent prognosticator for the long-term survival of patients with gastric cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Kanagawa Cancer Center, 1-1-2 Nakao, Asahi-ku, Yokohama, 241-0815, Japan.
authors.forename: Takaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshikawa
authors.forename: Haruhiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tsuburaya
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007414:Intestinal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D015996:Survival Rate; D019715:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D019715:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1