title: Serum Level of Matrix Metalloproteinase-2 and -9 in Patients with Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Clinical Significance.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Laryngeal cancer is an important malignancy in head and neck area and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the most common type accounting for 95% of cases. Increase in matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in different tumors and their correlation with tumor invasiveness has been documented. However, most studies have evaluated MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression and few have evaluated serum levels. The aim of current study was to evaluate serum levels in patients with laryngeal SCC compared to normal subjects and assess any relation with tumor clinicopathological findings.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this case control study, 20 patients with oral SCC and 20 healthy subjects were included. Serum levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 were compared between groups and correlations with findings including grade (T) and node involvement (N) were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with laryngeal SCC had significantly higher serum levels of MMP-2 (p=0.01) and MMP-9 (p=0.03) compared to healthy subjects. Patients with higher T stage (T3,4) had significantly higher MMP-2 (p=0.04) and MMP-9 (p=0.01). There was significant positive correlation between serum levels of MMP-2 with T stage (r=0.45, p=0.04) and lymph node involvement (r=0.563, p=0.01) and between levels of MMP-9 with T stage (r=0.527, p=0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results showed that compared to healthy subjects, both MMP-2 and MMP-9 are significantly increased in serum of laryngeal SCC cases. MMP-2 was correlated with lymph node involvement while MMP-9 has stronger correlation with T stage compared to MMP-2.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran E-mail : lale.saniee@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Alireza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lotfi
authors.forename: Ghodrat
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mohammadi
authors.forename: Lale
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Saniee
authors.forename: Mehrnoosh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mousaviagdas
authors.forename: Hadi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chavoshi
authors.forename: Atena
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tavassoli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000097:blood* / Q000556:secondary; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006801:Humans; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 / Q000097:blood*; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9