Matrix metalloproteinase MMP-7 as a new prognostic biomarker for gastric cancer

Abstract

BACKGROUND: According to statistics, gastric cancer is in a leading position among all gastrointestinal cancers. The most effective treatment for gastric cancer is surgery. There are now heterogeneous clinical outcomes for patients in the same stage of the disease. The main reason for this is the fact that differences in types of gastric cancer occur not only at the histological level, but also at the molecular level. Finding the universal biomarkers that can provide information about patient prognosis is a subject of interest to scientists around the world. MMP-7 is the smallest molecule in the family of matrix metalloproteinases that contributes significantly to oncogenesis by affecting apoptosis and degradation of the extracellular matrix. MMP-7 hyperexpression is associated with aggressive tumor phenotype and worsens prognosis in patients with gastric cancer. Therefore, MMP-7 can be a promising biomarker in the treatment of gastric cancer.
 AIM: To identify possible correlations between the expression of MMP-7 in patients with gastric cancer and their prognosis.
 MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included samples of 80 patients diagnosed with diffuse gastric cancer, who were selected based on our inclusion and exclusion criteria. 30 sectional stomach samples were taken as a comparison group. Of the 80 patients included in the study, gastrectomy was performed in 55% cases (44 people) and gastric resection was performed in 45% cases (36 people).
 RESULTS: In our work, the expression level of MMP-7 0.8±0.07 was indicated as high, and the expression rate of 0.40±0.067 as low. During the study, we assessed the link between the level of MMP-7 expression and the clinical characteristics of the tumor. We evaluated the following indicators: the disease stage, the presence of lesions of lymph nodes, the size of the tumor. Patients with increased MMP-7 expression in tumor tissue have a better prognosis than patients with low MMP-7 expression.
 CONCLUSION: The results of our study showed high MMP-7 expression in tumor tissue, which allowed us to establish a correlation between MMP-7 expression and adverse clinical outcomes. The data obtained may indicate the possible use of MMP-7 as a biomarker for gastric cancer.