Prognostic significance of matrix metalloproteinase‐7 in epithelial ovarian cancer and its relation to β‐catenin expression

Abstract

We investigated the expression and prognostic significance of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) -7, its relation to b-catenin expression and clinicopathological factors in epithelial ovarian cancer. The expression of MMP-7 was analyzed immunohistochemically in a series of 284 primary epithelial ovarian cancers, their 36 metastases and 8 normal ovaries. In cancers with endometrioid histology, a high percentage area of MMP-7 expression and an intense MMP-7 signal was significantly associated with nuclear positivity of b-catenin in cancer cells (p 5 0.003, v 2 5 8.853 and p 5 0.030, v 2 5 4.713, respectively). In all tumors and nonendometrioid subgroup, a low percentage area of MMP-7 positive tumor cells was significantly correlated with a high histological grade of the tumor (p 5 0.003 and 0.005, respectively), in all tumors also with advanced stage of the tumor (p 5 0.002) and large primary residual tumor (p 5 0.005). A 10-year disease-related survival (DRS) was significantly better when the percentage area of MMP-7 expression in cancer cells was high, when compared to low (p 5 0.0008). A high percentage area of intense MMP-7 signal in cancer cells predicted a significantly more favorable DRS and recurrence-free survival (RFS) (p 5 0.0003 and 0.0052, respectively). In multivariate analysis, a high percentage area of intense MMP-7 signal in tumor cells was an independent prognostic factor, predicting favorable DRS and RFS. The present study showed that intense MMP-7 signal in tumor cells is an independent prognostic factor predicting better survival in epithelial ovarian cancer. ' 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

The Use of Predictive or Prognostic Genetic Biomarkers in Endometrial and Other Hormone-Related Cancers: Justification for Extensive Candidate Gene Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Studies of the Matrix Metalloproteinase Family and their Inhibitors

“…In all reported MMP and TIMP expression studies done in ovarian cancer, an increase in MMP and TIMP mRNA or protein level and an association with poor prognostic factors has generally been observed. The only exception to this is the MMP7 protein, with increased expression reported to be associated with favorable prognostic characteristics in a single study (72). These results are similar to those reported for breast cancer (73) but not for prostate cancer (52,74).…”

“…Interestingly, the rs112184413 SNP is flanked by a highly conserved region, indicating that these novel findings should be investigated further. No association studies to date have examined the relationship of MMP7 SNPs with cancer prognosis, despite previously reported associations between MMP7 production and prognosis of both ovarian and breast cancers (72,73).…”

Active matrix metalloproteinase-7 is associated with invasion in buccal squamous cell carcinoma

“…38,40 Previous studies that did not use antibodies specific for active MMP-7 have produced conflicting results. For example, Sillanpaa et al 41 and Leinonen et al 42 found that high MMP-7 expression indicated less aggressive tumor behavior and better survival in ovarian and non-small-cell lung cancer. In their studies, normal ovarian epithelium and normal bronchial surface epithelial cells also showed positive MMP-7 staining, indicating antibody reactivity against the proMMP-7.…”

Thymidine kinase 1 expression in ovarian serous adenocarcinoma is superior to Ki-67: A new prognostic biomarker

“…12 Matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7) is an independent prognostic factor predicting longer survival in epithelial ovarian cancer. 33 The markers mentioned above might be associated with different natural histories of ovarian carcinoma subtypes, but they were not specific markers for tumour proliferation rates. At present, decisions regarding surgery and adjuvant therapy are based mainly on tumour stage and grade rather than on ovarian carcinoma subtype; therefore, ovarian carcinomas have often been considered clinically as one disease.…”