title: Presurgical serum levels of matrix metalloproteinase-9 and vascular endothelial growth factor in oral squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are two proteins involved in angiogenesis. In the present study we investigated the association of pretreatment MMP-9 and VEGF serum levels with clinicopathological parameters and outcome in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma. Pretreatment serum levels of MMP-9 and VEGF were analyzed in 161 patients with use of enzyme-linked immunoassays. Patients with a VEGF serum level higher than the mean serum level (497.04 pg/mL) had a significantly shorter overall survival than those with a serum level lower than median (p<0.0001). Patients with MMP-9 serum levels higher than median (226.7 ng/mL) had significantly shorter overall survival than those with levels lower than median (p=0.01). In addition to cervical lymph node metastasis and tumor stage, pretreatment serum levels of MMP-9 and VEGF were identified as independent prognostic factors in multivariate Cox regression analysis. We conclude pretreatment serum levels of MMP-9 and VEGF are new powerful prognostic markers in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial, MacKay Memorial Hospital, MacKay Medicine, Nursing and Management College, Taipei 10449, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chung-Ji
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Kuo-Wei
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Shu-Chun
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Hui-Wen
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000097:blood* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000601:surgery; D009333:Neck; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D011300:Preoperative Care; D057234:Preoperative Period; D011379:Prognosis; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9