Abstract

Yamamah Jawad Abbas*, Fadhil Jawad Al-Tu'ma and Alaa Fraq Al-Hemerri

ABSTRACT

Background: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a family of extracellular matrix-degrading proteinases. Owing to their matrix-degrading abilities and high expression in advanced tumors, MMPs were originally implicated in cancer progression, invasion, and metastasis. Objective: The present work aims to investigate the role of the matrix metalloproteinase levels in pathogenesis of Iraqi breast cancer patients of breast cancer and to study its association with MMP-2 gene polymorphism and another tumor markers such as carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and cancer antigen 15.5 (CA15-3). Materials and Methods: Forty one women with breast cancer with age ranged between (16 – 82) years and 45 apparently control women with age ranged between (18 – 50) years were included in this case-control study performed during Oct., 2019 and July, 2020. All samples were obtained from Imam Al-Hassan Oncology Unit, Al-Hussein Teaching Hospital, Al-Hussein Medical City, Kerbala Health Directorate / Kerbala – Iraq. The relation between the levels of various tumor markers including MMP-2, CEA and CA15-3 and clinical pathological parameters were determined. The MMP-2 gene polymorphism was analyzed in order to interpret its roles in pathogenesis of breast cancer and correlation with tumor markers studied. Results: The amplicon size of the MMP-2 gene was 304 base pair, and the amplification results for amplification of the MMP-2 SNP gene rs243865 showed one wild type (CC), heterozygous (CT) and homozygous (TT) bands, after amplification reactions by allelic specific polymerase chain reaction. Non-significant association was found between serum levels of MMP-2, CEA and CA15-3 (P> 0.05). Elevated levels of serum CEA and CA15-3 of 41 postmenopausal patients were determined in (63.74%) and CAE (21.3%), respectively. Larger tumor size, advanced axillary lymph nodes and TNM stage showed higher incidence of elevated CEA and CA15-3 levels. The elevation of CA15-3 levels was significantly greater in patients with HER2-positive tumors 10 (24.39%), and the elevation of CA15-3 levels was significantly greater in ER 36 (87.8%) patients with breast and PR status 29 (70.7%). A lower sensitivity to CEA compared to CA15-3 in diagnosing breast cancer was determined. Conclusions: In the present study, the relation between levels of MMP-2 gene polymorphism and serum marker of CA15-3, CEA and well clinic pathological features of breast carcinoma was shown, whereas the prognostic importance of CA15-3 and CEA was shown in the follow-up of patients with breast cancer.