Circulating Levels of VCAM and MMP-2 May Help Identify Patients with More Aggressive Prostate Cancer

Title: Circulating Levels of VCAM and MMP-2 May Help Identify Patients with More Aggressive Prostate Cancer

Volume: 8 Issue: 3

Author(s): Concetta De Cicco, Laura Ravasi, Laura Zorzino, Maria Teresa Sandri, Edoardo Botteri, Fabrizio Verweij, Donatella Granchi, Ottavio de Cobelli and Giovanni Paganelli

Affiliation:

Keywords: VCAM, MMP-2, blood marker, prostate cancer, bone metastasis, prognosis, VEGF, MMP, TIMP

Abstract: Background: Prostate adenocarcinoma is generally characterized by slow progression although some phenotypes have a more aggressive behavior with tendency to local invasion and distant metastases, mainly to bones. Better specific care could be provided to the aggressive phenotype-group of patients if pre-surgical identification were available. Material and Methods: Correlations between pre-surgical levels of 6 blood molecules and pathological tumour staging, post-surgical Gleason score and disease-free survival have been observed. Plasma and sera from 162 men affected by prostate adenocarcinoma were analysed with ELISA to assess levels of neovascularization-related molecule (VEGF), endothelial cell adhesion molecule (VCAM), extracellular matrix destruction- related molecules (MMP-2, MMP-9), and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase (TIMP-1 and TIMP-2). Results: The median values of serum determinations were for VEGF 279 pg/ml, VCAM 633 ng/ml, MMP-2 206 ng/ml and MMP-9 614 ng/ml. Plasma medians (ng/ml) were 94 for TIMP-1 and 90 for TIMP-2. Patients with VCAM values > 633 ng/ml had a worse disease-free survival than patients with values < 633 ng/ml with an adjusted Hazard Ratio of 2.1, significant (95% confidence interval 0.8-5.6). Patients with levels of MMP-2 < 206 ng/ml showed an increased risk of progression (adjusted HR 1.7; 95% C.I. 0.6-4.8). Conclusions: Levels of VCAM and MMP-2 should be checked in patients with prostate adenocarcinoma, because distant spread is more likely to occur in patients with high levels of VCAM and low levels of MMP-2. The scientific community should further investigate impact on prognosis of VCAM and MMP-2.

Cite this article as:

Cicco De Concetta, Ravasi Laura, Zorzino Laura, Sandri Teresa Maria, Botteri Edoardo, Verweij Fabrizio, Granchi Donatella, Cobelli de Ottavio and Paganelli Giovanni, Circulating Levels of VCAM and MMP-2 May Help Identify Patients with More Aggressive Prostate Cancer, Current Cancer Drug Targets 2008; 8 (3) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/156800908784293613