title: Autoantibodies against MMP-7 as a novel diagnostic biomarker in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the diagnostic values of serum autoantibodies against matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7) in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  The MMP-7 cDNA was cloned from ESCC tissues, and MMP-7 was expressed and purified from a prokaryotic system. MMP-7 autoantibodies were then measured in sera from 50 patients with primary ESCC and 58 risk-matched controls, using a reverse capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in which autoantibodies to MMP-7 bound to the purified MMP-7 proteins. In addition, MMP-7 autoantibody levels in sera from 38 gastric cancer patients and from control serum samples were also tested.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The optimum conditions for recombinant MMP-7 protein expression were determined as 0.04 mmol/L Isopropyl-β-D-Thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) induction at 37°C for four hours. The levels of serum autoantibodies against MMP-7 were significantly higher in patients with ESCC than in the matched-control samples (OD450 = 1.69 ± 0.08 vs OD450 = 1.55 ± 0.10, P < 0.001). The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.87. The sensitivity and specificity for detection of ESCC were 78.0% and 81.0%, respectively, when the OD450 value was greater than 1.65. Although the levels of autoantibodies against MMP-7 were also significantly higher in patients with gastric cancer compared to control samples (OD450 = 1.62 ± 0.06 vs OD450 = 1.55 ± 0.10, P < 0.001), the diagnostic accuracy was less significant than in ESCC patients. The area of ROC curve was 0.75, whereas the sensitivity and specificity were 60.5% and 71.7%, respectively, when the cut-off value of OD450 was set at 1.60.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum autoantibody levels of MMP-7 may be a good diagnostic biomarker for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
authors: Department of Cell Biology, Hebei University, Baoding 071400, Hebei Province, China.
authors: Jing-Hua
authors: JH
authors: Zhou
authors: Bin
authors: B
authors: Zhang
authors: Kemp H
authors: KH
authors: Kernstine
authors: Li
authors: L
authors: Zhong
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000737:chemistry*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007544:Isopropyl Thiogalactoside / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D020783:Matrix Metalloproteinase 7 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012372:ROC Curve; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D015415:Biomarkers; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D007544:Isopropyl Thiogalactoside; D020783:Matrix Metalloproteinase 7