Significance of MMP-9 and VEGF-C expression in North Indian women with breast cancer diagnosis

Metastasis accounts for the majority of cancer-associated mortality and renders the targeted therapy fruitless in the patients of breast cancer. Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF-C) are thought to be involved in tumor progression and metastasis. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of MMP-9 and VEGF-C at both mRNA and protein levels in breast cancer and to correlate with lymph node metastasis and other clinicopathological characteristics. Biopsy specimens ( N = 100) of breast cancer & benign breast disease ( N = 100) were investigated for the mRNA expression of MMP-9 and VEGF-C by Real-time PCR and Protein expression by Western blot. Elevated levels of MMP-9 ( p