Prognostic significance of MMP-14 in oral squamous cell carcinoma: insights from a Colombian cohort.

INTRODUCTION

Matrix metalloproteinase 14 (MMP-14) is crucial in extracellular matrix remodeling and tumor progression. This study evaluated MMP-14 expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and its correlations with clinical, histopathological, and sociodemographic factors.

METHODS

Manual tissue microarrays were constructed from 39 OSCC and 22 healthy mucosa samples from a Colombian cohort (2015-2022). MMP-14 detection was performed via immunohistochemistry using a combined histological score. Nonparametric tests and ROC analysis assessed their prognostic value.

RESULTS

MMP-14 was significantly overexpressed in OSCC relative to healthy mucosa (P < .05), with cytoplasmic and membranous localization. Elevated levels were observed in patients aged ≥50 (P = .05), in cases with perineural invasion (P = .01), and in tongue tumors (P = .03). ROC analysis yielded an area under the curve of 0.90, indicating diagnostic potential.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings confirm MMP-14 overexpression in OSCC and its association with perineural invasion, underscoring its role in tumor progression. No significant correlations were found with lymph node metastasis, clinical stage, or histological grade. Limitations include MMP-14's ubiquitous expression, reducing biomarker specificity. Further research incorporating additional molecular markers is warranted to refine prognostic accuracy.