MMP-2 as a putative biomarker for carcinomatosis in gastric cancer.
OBJECTIVE
We evaluated matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and -9 as novel biomarkers in the body fluid of advanced gastric cancer with peritoneal and pulmonary metastasis.


METHODS
MMPs activity from zymography was quantified with ELISA to determine the cut-off expression levels of MMPs. The expression of MMPs in patient samples were evaluated with ELISA and compared with clinical parameters. Ascitic CEA (aCEA) and pleural CEA (pCEA) were measured by chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay.


RESULTS
MMP-2 and -9 cut-off levels were 8.6ng/mL and 0.14ng/mL, respectively. Ascitic fluid cytology of 93 patients revealed a positivity of 55.9% while for MMP-2 it was 93.3%, for MMP-9 35.2% and for aCEA 86.7%. Combining biomarkers, the positivity increased to 99.1% in patients with MMP-2 or aCEA expression. We found a negative correlation between MMP-2 expression and survival when a new prognostic cut-off of 22.6ng/mL was used. Patients with high MMP-2 expression (≥22.6ng/mL) had a median survival of 45 days and those with low MMP-2 expression (<22.6ng/mL) had a median survival of 69 days (p<0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that MMPs could be used as diagnostic markers in body fluid and MMP-2 might be a prognostic marker in ascites of advanced gastric patients with disseminated metastasis.
Cancer Metastasis Research Center, Seoul, Korea.
Sewon
S
Noh
Jae-Joon
JJ
Jung
Minkyu
M
Jung
Tae Soo
TS
Kim
Chan Hee
CH
Park
Seung Joon
SJ
Lim
Hei-Cheul
HC
Jeung
Hyun
H
Cheol
Hyun Cheol
HC
Chung
Sun Young
SY
Rha
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 / Q000032:analysis* / Q000502:physiology; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000032:analysis; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000401:mortality
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9