title: Prognostic significance of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 in liver metastases.
abstract: Our research focuses both on the correlations between MMP-9 and TIMP-1 and classical clinicopathological factors and on the prognostic value of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 for survival. The study group included 52 patients diagnosed with hepatic metastases. The tissue specimens have been specifically processed for immunohistochemical exam, by using anti-MMP-9 and anti-TIMP-1 antibodies. For the semi-quantitative assessment, we have used an individualized score, which values allowed the discrimination of two classes of cases (low and high), using two different thresholds: ≤4 and <4. Data have been statistically analyzed by using Fisher 2×2 test and Kaplan-Meier curves. Statistical analysis between MMP-9 and TIMP-1 expression (low versus high, separately for each threshold) and clinicopathological characteristics had not revealed significant differences. In both types of threshold applied in survival analysis, significant differences between MMP-9 and TIMP-1 low and high expression have been demonstrated. For cases with concordant MMP-9-TIMP1 co-expression, low versus high, the survival analysis revealed that threshold value <4 offers a better stratification of cases when compared to threshold value ≤4, based on significant differences registered only for threshold value <4. No significant differences were registered between cases with discordant MMP-9-TIMP-1 co-expression, for both thresholds. Regardless of the used threshold, the survival analysis achieved between the cases with MMP-9-TIMP-1 concordant co-expression and cases with MMP-9-TIMP-1 discordant co-expression had proven significant differences. Our study suggests that the confirmation of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 value as prognostic factors, based on immunohistochemical expression, requires a threshold validation.
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Histology, Department of Morphofunctional Sciences, "Grigore T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iassy, Romania; irinadragacaruntu@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Simona Eliza
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Giuşcă
authors.forename: Irina Draga
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Căruntu
authors.forename: Cornelia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Amălinei
authors.forename: Elena Roxana
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Avădănei
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000556:secondary*; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D016019:Survival Analysis; D019715:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C560822:TIMP1 protein, human; D019715:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1; C579270:MMP9 protein, human; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9