Plasma Levels of Matrilysins (MMP-7 and MMP-26) and Stromelysins (MMP-3 and MMP-10) in Diagnosis of Endometrial Cancer Patients

Metalloproteinases (MMPs) play a significant role in cancer pathogenesis. We investigated the levels of MMP-7, MMP-26, MMP-3, and MMP-10 in comparison with the levels of a tumor marker (CA125) in the plasma of postmenopausal patients in early stages of endometrial cancer (EC) compared with control groups: patients with benign lesions (<i>myoma uteri</i>) and healthy controls. Plasma MMP levels were determined by ELISA and CA125 by CMIA methods. The study showed that plasma MMP-7 levels were significantly higher in EC patients compared to both control groups, whereas MMP-3 and MMP-26 levels were significantly higher in EC patients than in healthy women. MMP-7 showed the highest diagnostic sensitivity (SE), specificity (SP), positive (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV), and diagnostic power (AUC) compared to other MMPs or CA125 in EC patients overall and patients with stage I and II EC. A combined analysis showed higher SE, NPV, and AUC levels in total EC patients and stage I and II EC patients-with the highest values for the combination MMP-7+CA125 (96%, 92%, 95%; 95%, 96%, and 98%; 0.9420, 0.9158, and 0.9693, respectively) or MMP-26 with CA125 (86%, 86%, and 86%; 59%, 73%, 73%; 0.8219, 0.8086, and 0.8353, respectively). The results suggest the usefulness of MMPs, especially MMP-7 and MMP-26, in combined panels with CA125 in diagnosing EC patients.