Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP-1) as a biomarker in gastric cancer: a review

Abstract

Objective. The value of Tissue Inhibitor of MetalloProteinase-1 (TIMP-1) as a biomarker in patients with gastric cancer (GC) is widely debated. The aim of this review is to evaluate available literature describing the association between levels of TIMP-1 in tumor tissue and/or blood and the prognosis of patients suffering from GC. Material and methods. Using the search words ‘TIMP-1', ‘Gastric Cancer' and ‘Tumor marker', a search was carried out on PubMed. Exclusion criteria were articles never published in English, articles from before 1995 and articles evaluating tumor markers other than TIMP-1 in GC. Results. Of initially 50 articles, 17 were found to fulfill the selection criteria and relevant for this study. The 17 articles evaluated the usefulness of TIMP-1 levels in tumor tissue or blood, respectively, as a prognostic marker in patients with GC. Conclusions: A literature search showed that elevated protein levels of TIMP-1 in either tumor tissue extracts or in plasma from patients suffering from GC associates with poor patient outcome.

Key Words::

• gastroduodenal-clinical
• oncology-clinical

Acknowledgements

Department of oncology, Rigshospitalet supported this article.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.