Abstracts
1999 Digestive Disease Week

# 2143 MATRIX-METALLOPROTEINASE ACTIVITY IN SURGICAL SPECIMENS ACCURATELY REFLECTS METASTATIC POTENTIAL OF HUMAN PANCREATIC CANCER
E E Zervos, M Haq, A E Shafii, Alexander S Rosemurgy, Univ of South Florida, Tampa, FL

Purpose: Preclinical and clinical studies have documented the efficacy of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) inhibition in the treatment of pancreatic cancer; with several multicenter trials now in progress. To further investigate the role of MMP inhibition in treating pancreatic cancer, MMP activity in resected human pancreatic cancers was correlated with tumor clinocopathologic features. Methods: Utilizing gel zymography (with confirmation by Western blot) MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity was determined in 21 consecutive, freshly resected pancreatic adenocarcinomas. Tumor grade was T2 (6), T3 (11) and T4 (4). Nodal status was N1 in 11 patients. Seven patients were Stage I, 3 Stage II and 11 Stage Ill. Correlation was sought among MMP levels, tumor grade, nodal status, stage, and histologic grade. Pearson's r was determined and significance sought by t-test (data reported as Pearson's r). Results: MMP activity ( MMP-2»MMP-9) significantly correlated with nodal status and stage of resected specimens. No significant correlations among tumor grade, nodal status, or histologic grade were noted (data not shown). Conclusions: MMP activity was a strong independent predictor of nodal metastases and tumor stage for this heterogeneous group of resected pancreatic cancers. Tumors with high metastatic potential (as evidenced by nodal metastases) elaborate increased levels of active MMP thus supporting the rationale for implementing enzyme inhibitory therapy in patients with pancreatic cancer. MMP-2 0.19 0.51* 0.60* 0.07 MMP-9 0.17 0.40** 0.46* 0.03 *p<0.05 by Student's t-test, **p<0.08 by Student's t-test

>Tumor grade

Nodal Status

Stage

Histologic Grade

Copyright 1996 - 1999, SSAT, Inc.