Molica Stefano, Vitelli Gaetano, Levato Domenico, Giannarelli Diana, Vacca Angelo, Cuneo Antonio, Cavazzini Franceso, Squillace Roberto, Mirabelli Rosanna, Digiesi Giovanna
Medical Oncology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera Pugliese-Ciaccio, Catanzaro, Italy.
Eur J Haematol. 2003 Jun;70(6):373-8. doi: 10.1034/j.1600-0609.2003.00064.x.
Serum levels of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) which agree with progression in solid and haematological tumours were correlated to the risk of disease progression in 62 patients with early (Binet stage A) B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). Sera were taken at diagnosis and tested by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
MMP-9 levels positively correlated with haemoglobin levels (P = 0.03) and platelet count (P = 0.03). No association was found with main clinico-haematological features representative of tumour mass, such as peripheral blood lymphocytosis, bone marrow histology, Rai substages and beta-2 microglobulin (beta-2m). A cut-off of MMP-9 levels corresponding to 33rd percentile (203 ng/mL) or higher identified earlier upstaging and shorter progression-free survival. MMP-9 was a significant prognostic marker in multivariate analysis and partially independent of Rai substages, which suggests its inclusion into such a staging system to better stratify prognostically Rai stages I and II patients.
MMP-9 serum levels predict disease behaviour and help to refine the prognosis of stage A CLL patients.
