Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play an important role in tumor progression and metastasis. Here, we investigated the prognostic relevance of MMP−7 in urinary bladder cancer. MMP−7 gene expression was measured in tissue samples of 101 patients using quantitative real−time PCR. Circulating MMP−7 serum levels of 98 individuals (79 patients and 19 controls) were analyzed by enzyme−linked immunosorbent assay. The results were compared with the clinical follow−up data, performing Kaplan−Meier log−rank test as well as univariate and multivariate Cox analysis. In representative cases, immunohistochemical analysis for MMP−7 was performed. We detected significantly elevated MMP−7 levels both in tissue and serum samples of patients with metastatic disease (P = 0.001 and P = 0.002). Multivariate analysis revealed that high MMP−7 tissue expression and serum concentration are stage− and grade−independent predictors of both metastasis−free (hazard ratio [HR] = 3.80, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.29−11.23, P = 0.016, and HR = 2.53, 95% CI, 1.01−6.37, P = 0.048) and disease−specific survival (HR = 1.89, 95% CI, 1.00−3.55, P = 0.050 and HR = 1.95, 95% CI, 1.03−3.71, P = 0.041). Based on these findings, we conclude that MMP−7 is a promising marker to detect present and to predict future metastasis. Serum MMP−7 analysis provides information about the risk of metastasis before surgery which could help to optimize therapeutic procedures. Furthermore, high MMP−7 tissue and/or serum levels could identify patients most likely to benefit from early adjuvant chemotherapy. (Cancer Sci 2010; xxx: xxx−xxx).

PMID: 20180812 [PubMed − as supplied by publisher] Source: National Library of Medicine.