Clinical significance of NGAL and MMP-9 protein expression in epithelial ovarian cancers

Objective: To investigate the significance of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) protein expression in epithelial ovarian cancers. Methods: NGAL and MMP-9 serum and ovarian tissue levels were detected in 150 ovarian epithelial cancers. 42 benign ovarian tumors and 30 healthy women as controls by immunohistochemistry technique and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RTPCR). Results: NGAL and MMP-9 expression in tissue and serum in ovarian cancer group were significantly higher than that in benign ovarian tumor group and normal control group (both P<0.05). Two high expression and clinical staging, lymph node metastasis positive correlation (both P<0.05). Moreover, in the serum and ovarian tissue of patients with epithelial ovarian cancer, the expression of NGAL had positive correlation with histological differentiation (both P<0.05) and the expression level of MMP-9 had negative correlation with histological differentiation (P<0.05). In patients with ovarian carcinoma tissue or serum, NGAL expression were positive expression of MMP-9 (r=0.740, r=0.676, both P<0.05). Conclusions: The high expression of NGAL and MMP-9 in epithelial ovarian cancer may be associated with the initiation and progression of epithelial ovarian cancer.