Clinical significance of MMP-2 and MMP-9 levels as potential biomarkers in patients with breast cancer in Maiduguri – Nigeria

Abstract

Breast cancer (BC) is a significant public health challenge globally, affecting women of all races and ages. In Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa, BC is the most common cancer among women, with high mortality rates. In BC, a number of MMPs are overexpressed thereby causing tissue disruption and making tumour cell’s capable of invasion and metastasis. IDCA, ILCA and MCA are histological types of BCs that were seen in this study, they are classified into grade 1, 2 and 3 tumours. This present study investigated the expression of Matrix Metalloproteinases -2 and -9 in formalin fixed tissues from BC patients and correlated with some clinico-pathological parameters. Thirty-four (34) BC samples were analysed for the expression of the MMP-2 and -9 genes using real-time qPCR. The data analyses were performed using SPSS. The real-time qPCR results indicated that there was downregulation of MMP-2 in grade -2 cancer samples and upregulation of MMP-9 in both grade-2 and -3 samples when compared to normal breast tissues. MMP-2 and -9 were expressed in all the histological types we found during this study (IDCA – 78.1%, ILCA – 12.5% and MCA – 9.4%). Therefore, this differential regulation of MMP – 2 found during our studies on BC tissues can be an indication of their roles in tumour invasion, also the overexpression of MMP-9 in higher grades might be an indicator in tumour invasion and metastasis. Thus, MMP-2 and -9 are of immense significance to be considered and used as drug targets and diagnostic markers.