Related Experiment Videos
Plasma concentration of matrix metalloproteinase 9 in gastric cancer
1Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Aichi Cancer Centre, Nagoya, Japan.
Background:
The clinical significance of plasma concentration of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) was investigated in patients with gastric cancer.
Methods:
Plasma was obtained from 138 healthy individuals and 70 patients who underwent gastrectomy for gastric cancer at Aichi Cancer Centre between August 1994 and July 1995. Plasma concentrations of MMP-9 were measured using a one-step sandwich enzyme immunoassay employing monoclonal antibodies.
Results:
Patients with gastric cancer had plasma higher concentrations of MMP-9 than normal subjects. Postoperative concentrations of MMP-9 were lower than preoperative levels. In addition to patients with advanced cancer, those with early gastric cancer also exhibited higher mean values of and positivity rates for MMP-9 than healthy individuals. Preoperative plasma MMP-9 concentration correlated closely with Union Internacional Contra la Cancrum tumour node metastasis (pTNM) stage, severity of T, N and M classification, and tumour size.
Conclusion:
Plasma MMP-9 concentration can be used for detection of primary or recurrent gastric cancer, and for estimation of tumour extent.