Title:Expression and Prognostic Significance of the MMP Family Molecules in Bladder Cancer
Volume: 24
Issue: 8
Author(s): Chong Shen, La Da, Zhouliang Wu, Yujie Wang, Shen Gao, Dawei Tian* Hailong Hu*
Affiliation:
- Department of Urology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, No.23, Pingjiang Road, Tianjin 300211,China
- Department of Urology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, No.23, Pingjiang Road, Tianjin 300211,China
Keywords:
MMPs, bladder cancer, prognosis, Kaplan-Meier plot, malignancy, urinary system.
Abstract:
Background: Bladder cancer (BC) is the 10th most common cancer worldwide with significantly
varied prognosis in different pathological subtypes. MMPs, a group of enzymes, could involve
in the invasion and metastasis of numerous malignancies. The function of MMPs in BC is
partly reported in several studies but with great conflicts; hence, a systematic analysis of expression
levels and prognostic values of these MMP genes are still to be determined.
Methods: Firstly, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of MMPs were identified in ONCOMINE,
GEPIA, and UALCAN databases, and these DEGs were also detected by real-time RT-qPCR.
More importantly, we investigated the clinical significance of these DEGs in BC patients via Kaplan-
Meier (KM) Plotter, UALCAN, and cBioPortal databases.
Results: The study found that the mRNA expression of MMP1/11 in BC samples was significantly
higher than that in normal bladder tissues, and MMP2/3 was lower in the former than in the latter.
The expression level of MMP1/2/7/9/11/13/23B was significantly related to the tumor stages. Furthermore,
the prognostic analysis suggested that the high transcription levels of MMP7 and low
transcription levels of MMP23A were correlated with favorable relapse-free survival and overall
survival in the patients with BC, respectively. Notably, high MMP11/13 expression levels indicated
poor overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS) in patients with BC.
Conclusion: This study revealed that MMP1/2/3/7/9/11/13/23A/23B are possible prognostic biomarkers
and clinical therapeutic targets for patients with BC.
