title: Serum level of MMP-3 in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma--lack of association with clinico-pathological features.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  MMP-3 is a proteolytic enzyme of the matrix metalloproteinase family. Protein degradation which is their fundamental action regulates different activities of tumor cell such as their growth, differentiation, apoptosis, migration, invasion, angiogenesis as well as their resistance to the immune system.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to determine MMP-3 serum levels in patients with OSCC and investigate if they correlate with clinicopathological features.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using an ELISA kit, we assessed and compared the circulating levels of MMP-3 in blood serum of 45 oral squamous cell carcinoma patients with 45 healthy control samples.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The serum MMP-3 level in OSCC patients was significantly higher (9.45±4.6 ng/ml) than healthy controls (5.9±3.6 ng/ml, p<0.001), especially in females and in older patients. However, there was no apparent correlation in serum MMP-3 concentration with the clinico-pathological features such as tumor location, stage, tumor size, nodal status, distant metastasis, histological grade and smoking.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This result suggests that the measurement of serum MMP-3 concentration might be helpful to diagnose OSCC but not to predict prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, School of Dentistry, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Azadeh Andisheh
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Tadbir
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Purshahidi
authors.forename: Hooman
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ebrahimi
authors.forename: Bijan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Khademi
authors.forename: Mahzad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Malekzadeh
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mardani
authors.forename: Masumeh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taghva
authors.forename: Yasaman
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sardari
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019278:Matrix Metalloproteinase 3 / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D019278:Matrix Metalloproteinase 3