Expression and clinical significance of matrix metalloproteinase 17 in gastric cancer

Objective To investigate the expression and clinicopathological features of matrix metalloproteinase 17 (MMP17) in gastric cancer.Methods The expressions of MMP17 at protein and mRNA level in 42 gastric carcinoma surgical specimens,42 endoscopic biopsy specimens of normal gastric tissue and 40 endoscopic biopsy specimens of atrophic gastritis were detected by immunohistoehemistry and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) respectively.Their relations with gastric clinicopathological features were analyzed.Chi square test,t-test and one-way ANOVA analysis were performed for comparing the differences between groups.Results There was no statistically significant difference(P＞0.05) in the expression rate of MMP17 between 42 specimens of normal gastric tissue(7.1％,3/42) and 40 specimens of atrophic gastritis (10.0％,4/40),however both were significantly lower than that of gastric carcinoma (73.8％,31/42,x2 =38.74,34.10,both P＜0.05).The expression quantity of MMP17 at mRNA level of 42 specimens of normal gastric tissue and 40 specimens of atrophic gastritis was 0.226 ± 0.032 and 0.254 ± 0.074 respectively,there was no significant difference(P＞0.05),however both were lower than that of gastric carcinoma (0.476±0.043,t=8.079 and 4.493,both P＜0.05).The expressions of MMP17 at protein and mRNA level were related to depths of invasion,lymph node metastasis and serous membrane involvement in gastric carcinoma patients (x2 =5.300,5.054,4.438,t =2.437,2.372,2.203,all P＜0.05),but not correlated with age,gender,lesion length,lesion site and histological grade (all P＞0.05).The positive rate of MMP17 expression in patients with survival time less than 2 years was significantly higher than that in patients with survival time over two years (x2 =12.71,P＜0.05).Conclusions In gastric carcinoma tissues,the expression of MMP17 increased along with the progression of gastric carcinoma.The detection of MMP17 may have some clinical reference value in determining the prognosis of gastric cancer patients. Key words: Stomach neoplasms;  Matrix metalloproteinase 17;  Immunohistochemistry; Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction;  Prognosis