Serum Levels and Clinical Significance of MMP-9 and NGAL in Patients with Gastric Cancer / 胃肠病学

ABSTRACT

Background:Matrix metalloproteinase-9(MMP-9)is known to play a key role in tumor invasion and metastasis by mediating the degradation of extracellular matrix. It has been revealed that neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin ( NGAL)is capable of protecting MMP-9 from degradation and thereby preserving its enzymatic activity. Aims:To explore the MMP-9 and NGAL levels in peripheral blood of gastric cancer patients and their clinical significance. Methods:Serum levels of MMP-9 and NGAL were determined by ELISA in 76 gastric cancer patients and 50 healthy controls. Correlations of serum MMP-9 and NGAL levels with clinicopathological features of gastric cancer were analyzed,and their diagnostic performance for screening gastric cancer was evaluated by ROC curve. Results:Serum levels of MMP-9 and NGAL in patients with gastric cancer were significantly higher than those in healthy controls(P<0. 01),and either of them was positively correlated with the TNM stage of gastric cancer. Furthermore,MMP-9 was correlated with lymph node metastasis and serosal invasion,while NGAL was correlated with distant metastasis. However,tumor differentiation was not correlated with either MMP-9 or NGAL. By ROC curve,608. 19 ng/mL and 14. 71 ng/mL were identified as the cutoff value of serum MMP-9 and NGAL,respectively,for screening gastric cancer. Sensitivity and specificity of MMP-9 were 64. 5% and 90. 0%,and those of NGAL were 85. 5% and 90. 0%,respectively. When parallel test was taken,the sensitivity would be increased to 94. 7% and specificity being 82. 0%. Conclusions:Serum levels of MMP-9 and NGAL are elevated and associated with tumor progression in patients with gastric cancer. Both of them might be used as potential markers for screening,disease assessment and prognosis prediction of gastric cancer.