![Sample our Bioscience journals, sign in here to start your access, Latest two full volumes FREE to you for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5925/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Bioscience.jpg"})
Abstract
Introduction. High levels of certain matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have been detected in various human cancers. The purpose of this study was to analyze the expression of MMP-7 in salivary gland cancer (SGC) by immunohistochemistry and to associate the results with the clinical data and the 10-year survival of the SGC patients. Material and methods. Immunohistochemistry for MMP-7 was performed in a series of 107 paraffin-embedded sections of SGC. The samples represent the entire SGC population in Finland from 1991–1996. Mortality follow-up ended December 31, 2006. Results. The study population of 107 patients consisted of 47 male and 60 female subjects, ranging in age at the time of diagnosis between 23 and 90 years. The minimum follow-up time was 10.6 years and the maximum 15.9 years. By age-adjusted analysis lower staining intensity was associated with worse overall survival of patients with acinic cell carcinoma (p = 0.047, HR 6.5, 95% Cl 1.0–41.7) and in mucoepidermoid carcinoma (p = 0.010, HR 9.3, 95% CI 1.7–50.0). Low staining intensity was also associated with worse disease-specific survival of patients with acinic cell carcinoma (0–1 vs. 2–3; p = 0.047, HR 13.7, 1.0–200.0). VCI Ki-67 was an important prognostic factor for survival of the entire data set (p < 0.0001, HR 4.7, 95% Cl 2.3–9.8). Conclusions. MMP-7 is associated with the prognosis of patients with acinic cell and mucoepidermoid carcinoma.
Acknowledgements
We thank Ms Sinikka Kollanus and Sari Pitkänen for skillful technical assistance. This study was supported by grants from the Cancer Foundation of South-Western Finland, the Research Foundation of Orion Corporation and the Turku Municipal Health Department, Turku University Central Hospital (EVO 13011) and by grants from the Academy of Finland, the Finnish Cancer Research Foundation, the Sigrid Juselius Foundation and the Turku University Hospital (13336) to V.-M.K. A.K. is a student of the National Graduate School of Clinical Medicine. The authors thank the University Hospitals and the Central Hospitals of Finland for providing data to this study.
Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.