Circulating metalloproteinase-3 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 in patients with ductal pancreatic neoplasms

Background. There is increasing evidence regarding the involvement of inflammation processes in patients with intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) of the pancreas. Aim. To evaluate the circulating concentrations of MMP-3 and TIMP-2 in patients with IPMNs and in those with ductal adenocarcinomas. Patients. Sixty patients (32 males, 28 females, mean age 69.3±11.3 years) were enrolled: 31 (51.7%) had IPMNs and 29 (48.3%) had histologically confirmed pancreatic adenocarcinomas. Thirty blood donors were also studied as controls. Methods. The serum concentrations of MMP-3 and TIMP-2 were determined in all study subjects using commercially available kits. Results. Serum concentrations of MMP-3 were significantly higher both in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas and in those with IPMNs as compared to the healthy subjects whereas serum levels of TIMP-2 were significantly lower both in IPMN patients and in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinomas than in those of the healthy subjects. No significant differences in the serum levels of both MMP-3 and TIMP-2 were found between patients with IPMNs and those with pancreatic adenocarcinomas, and, in the patients with IPMN, they were not related to the type of tumor. Conclusions. IPMNs have a pattern of extracellular matrix factors and their inhibitors are similar to those of ductal adenocarcinoma; MMP-3 and TIMP-2 cannot be utilized to routinely differentiate IPMNs from ductal adenocarcinomas.