Evaluation of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -9 (gelatinase A and B) in the sera from patients with prostate diseases.

Abstract Background: It is widely recognized that the serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels as a biomarker of prostate cancer is imperfect, in that it can have many false positive elevations attributable to benign hyperplasia and subclinical prostatic inflammation. There are increasing data that support a positive correlation between gelatinase (MMP-2 and-9) activity and tumor cell invasion and tumor aggressiveness. Objectives: We evaluate gelatinolytic activities in the sera of patients with prostate carcinoma and benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) in order to verify whether MMP-2 and-9 might have potential as non invasive biomarkers. Methods: By gelatin zymography we verified MMP activity in a total of 43 patients. Of these 9 had BPH and 34 had cancer, consisting of 3 with Gleason score 5, 13 with Gleason 6, 14 with Gleason 7, 1 with Gleason 8, and 3 with Gleason 9. Results: Four dominant proteinases were detected migrating at ~ 240, 130, 92 and 72 kDa. The most abundant lytic activity is at 92 kDa (MMP-9); whereas MMP-2 is present in lesser quantities. MMP-9 activity is enhanced in the sera from patients with cancer compared with BPH patients; whereas the 72 kDa band is similar in the two groups. Conclusions: These results suggest that the inexpensive measurement of MMPs in serum may serve as a suitable supplementary tool to distinguish between patients with prostate cancer and patients with BPH, and the addition of this enzyme to currently available PSA and/or f-PSA/t-PSA ratio might provide clinicians additional objective information on prostate carcinomas.