Manjunatha Bhari Sharanesha, Handge Keshav T, Shah Vandana Sandeep, Al-Thobaiti Yasser Eid, Pateel Deepak Gowda Sadashivappa
Department of Basic Oral Medicine and Allied Dental Sciences, Taif University, At`Taif 26571, Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Dr. Vasantrao Pawar Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre, Nashik 423101, Maharashtra, India.
World J Methodol. 2025 Jun 20;15(2):94514. doi: 10.5662/wjm.v15.i2.94514.
One of the main characteristics of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is that it metastasizes to cervical lymph nodes frequently with a high degree of local invasiveness. A primary feature of malignant tumors is their penetration of neighboring tissues, such as lymphatic and blood arteries, due to the tumor cells' capacity to break down the extracellular matrix (ECM). Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) constitute a family of proteolytic enzymes that facilitate tissue remodeling and the degradation of the ECM. MMP-9 and MMP-13 belong to the group of extracellular matrix degrading enzymes and their expression has been studied in OSCC because of their specific functions. MMP-13, a collagenase family member, is thought to play an essential role in the MMP activation cascade by breaking down the fibrillar collagens, whereas MMP-9 is thought to accelerate the growth of tumors. Elevated MMP-13 expression has been associated with tumor behavior and patient prognosis in a number of malignant cases.
To assess the immunohistochemical expression of MMP-9 and MMP-13 in OSCC.
A total of 40 cases with histologically confirmed OSCC by incisional biopsy were included in this cross-sectional retrospective study. The protocols for both MMP-9 and MMP-13 immunohistochemical staining were performed according to the manufacturer's recommendations along with the normal gingival epithelium as a positive control. All the observations were recorded and Pearson's ² test with Fisher exact test was used for statistical analysis.
Our study showed no significant correlation between MMP-9 and MMP-13 staining intensity and tumor size. The majority of the patients were in advanced TNM stages (III and IV), and showed intense expression of MMP-9 and MMP-13.
The present study suggests that both MMP-9 and MMP-13 play an important and independent role in OSCC progression and invasiveness. Intense expression of MMP-9 and MMP-13, irrespective of histological grade of OSCC, correlates well with TNM stage. Consequently, it is evident that MMP-9 and MMP-13 are important for the invasiveness and progression of tumors. The findings may facilitate the development of new approaches for evaluating lymph node metastases and interventional therapy techniques, hence enhancing the prognosis of patients diagnosed with OSCC.
口腔鳞状细胞癌（OSCC）的主要特征之一是它经常转移至颈部淋巴结，且具有高度的局部侵袭性。恶性肿瘤的一个主要特征是肿瘤细胞能够分解细胞外基质（ECM），从而侵入邻近组织，如淋巴管和血管。基质金属蛋白酶（MMPs）是一类蛋白水解酶家族，有助于组织重塑和细胞外基质的降解。MMP-9和MMP-13属于细胞外基质降解酶组，由于它们的特定功能，其在OSCC中的表达已得到研究。MMP-13是胶原酶家族成员，被认为通过分解纤维状胶原在MMP激活级联反应中起重要作用，而MMP-9被认为可加速肿瘤生长。在一些恶性病例中，MMP-13表达升高与肿瘤行为和患者预后相关。
评估MMP-9和MMP-13在OSCC中的免疫组化表达。
本横断面回顾性研究纳入了40例经组织学确诊为OSCC且经切开活检的病例。MMP-9和MMP-13免疫组化染色方案均按照制造商的建议进行，同时以正常牙龈上皮作为阳性对照。记录所有观察结果，并使用Pearson卡方检验和Fisher精确检验进行统计分析。
我们的研究表明，MMP-9和MMP-13染色强度与肿瘤大小之间无显著相关性。大多数患者处于TNM晚期（III期和IV期），且MMP-9和MMP-13表达强烈。
本研究表明，MMP-9和MMP-13在OSCC进展和侵袭中均起重要且独立的作用。MMP-9和MMP-13的强烈表达，无论OSCC的组织学分级如何，均与TNM分期密切相关。因此，很明显MMP-9和MMP-13对肿瘤的侵袭性和进展很重要。这些发现可能有助于开发评估淋巴结转移的新方法和介入治疗技术，从而改善OSCC患者的预后。
