Abstract
Objectives
To evaluate the active MMP-7 expression in buccal cancer and correlate the expressions with clinicopath-ological features.
Methods
Tissue microarrays, immunohistochemistry, and Western blotting were used to detect the expression of active MMP-7 in oral tumor from 24 patients with buccal squamous cell carcinoma (BSCC).
Results
Total MMP-7 was detected on Western blots in 9 of 15 tumor tissue samples (60%) and in 2 of 15 normal mucosal samples (13.3%); this difference was significant (p = 0.008). Moreover, the active form of MMP-7 was expressed in 8 (88.9%) of the 9 tumor samples that expressed MMP-7, and in none of the normal tissue samples, regardless of the expression status of the pro-form. Immunostaining of total MMP-7 was observed histologically in both tumor and non-neoplastic epithelium, but immunostaining of active MMP-7 was present only in tumor nests. Expression of active MMP-7 was associated with larger tumor size (p = 0.022) and was significantly higher in BSCC with skin or bone invasion (p = 0.036).
Conclusions
Active MMP-7 expression was associated with more aggressive buccal squamous cell carcinomas.
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