Affiliation:
1. Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand
Abstract
To date, no potential markers have been established for predicting prognosis in gastric cancer. Matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7) has been suggested as a prognostic marker in several cancers. In this study, we aimed to determine the expression of the MMP-7 protein and its polymorphisms in gastric cancer tissues. The association between MMP-7 expression level and clinicopathological characteristics was also evaluated. MMP-7 protein expression and its polymorphisms were investigated in a total of 400 patients using immunohistochemistry and TaqMan SNP genotyping assays. The correlation of MMP-7 expression with clinicopathological characteristics, including tumor location, tumor size, histologic type, lymphatic invasion, vascular invasion, pathological T stage, pathological TNM stage, residual tumor, and CEA level, was investigated. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression model. MMP-7 expression was found in 283 of 400 (70.75%) gastric cancer tissues. Expression of MMP-7 was significantly associated with poor clinicopathological characteristics, including vascular invasion (
,
,
), lymphatic invasion (
,
,
), undifferentiated histologic type (
; 95% CI, 1.31–4.52;
), higher TNM stage (stage IV) (
,
,
), and high CEA level (
,
,
). We further observed a significant association of the variant genotype; gastric cancer patients carrying GG of MMP-7 (-181A/G; rs11568818) had a greater increased risk of MMP-7 expression than did wild-type (WT) carriers (AG: odds ratio
;
;
and GG:
;
;
). These findings suggest that MMP-7 expression can be used to predict the prognosis of gastric cancer patients.
Funder
National Science, Research and Innovation Fund
Subject
General Immunology and Microbiology,General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology,General Medicine