Background: Tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) in plasma has been reported to be related to disease progression in patients with colorectal cancer. However, the prognostic significance of plasma TIMP-1 has not been clarified.
Patients and methods: Concentrations of TIMP-1 protein were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in plasma samples of 87 preoperative patients who subsequently underwent resection, and prognosis was compared. The cut-off value of plasma TIMP-1 was defined as 170 ng/ml.
Results: When clinicopathological factors between patients with positive and those with negative plasma TIMP-1 were analyzed, significant differences were observed in lymph node metastasis, serosal invasion, curability and Dukes' classification. Univariate analysis of these factors demonstrated that depth of invasion, metastases to lymph nodes, peritoneum, liver and distant organ, lymphatic and vessel invasions, curability. Dukes' classification and plasma TIMP-1 concentration were significant. By multivariate analysis excluding patients with distant or peritoneal metastases, histological type, lymphatic invasions, lymph node metastasis and plasma TIMP-1 were retained in the final model.
Conclusion: These results suggested that plasma TIMP-1 may be a useful prognostic marker for survival in patients with colorectal carcinoma.