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Elevated serum pro-MMP2 levels in patients with stage IV thymoma
Hidefumi Sasaki1, Haruhiro Yukiue, Yoshihiro Kobayashi
1Second Department of Surgery, Nagoya City University Medical School, Japan.
Purpose:
There is increasing evidence that matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play important roles in tumor invasion and metastasis. Using a one-step sandwich enzyme immunoassay, we investigated whether serum pro-MMP2 levels could be predictors of the development and extension of thymoma.
Methods:
The subjects of this study were 33 patients with thymoma and 26 patients with nonmalignant thoracic disease.
Results:
Serum pro-MMP2 levels were elevated in patients with stage IV thymoma (938.6+/-80.2ng/ml) compared with those in the controls (P = 0.03). Patients with stage IVb thymoma had significantly higher serum pro-MMP2 levels than patients with other stages, being 1088.7+/-440ng/ml in stage IVb, 686.0+/-74.0ng/ml in stage I (P = 0.01), 685.8+/-48.6ng/ml in stage II (P = 0.01), and 691.7+/-74.0 ng/ml in stage III (P = 0.02). Serum pro-MMP2 levels were elevated in patients with polygonal cell type thymoma compared with those with mixed cell type thymoma, being 823.1+/-55.5ng/ml vs 613.6+/-59.9ng/ml, respectively (P = 0.04). Using the reference limit of 850ng/ml (mean +/- 2SD) set from analyses in the control group, all patients who had pro-MMP2 levels below the cutoff level survived. On the other hand, four of nine patients who had an elevated pro-MMP2 level died from recurrence.
Conclusion:
Serum pro-MMP2 levels may serve as a marker that could be used as an indicator of distant metastases in thymoma. Elevated pro-MMP2 levels may be correlated with poor survival.