Background/Aim: This study aimed to investigate the involvement of matrix metalloproteinase-8 (MMP-8) genotypes in the development of colorectal cancer (CRC). Materials and Methods: The polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technique was used to analyze the genotypes of MMP-8 C-799T (rs11225395), Val436Ala (rs34009635), and Lys460Thr (rs35866072) in 362 patients with CRC and 362 controls. Additionally, the potential associations between these genotypes and factors such as age, sex, smoking, alcohol consumption, and body mass index (BMI) status in relation to CRC risk were also assessed. Results: No significant differences in the distribution of MMP-8 rs11225395 genotypes were found between the control and case groups (p for trend=0.3836). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that individuals with the MMP-8 rs11225395 variant CT and TT genotypes had a 0.83 and 0.77-fold risk of CRC, respectively. Moreover, carriers of the rs11225395 CT+TT genotypes were not associated with CRC risk either (p=0.2063). Furthermore, individuals with the MMP-8 rs11225395 TT genotype exhibited significantly lower odds of CRC risk compared to those with the CC genotype among nonsmokers (p=0.0379). No significant associations were observed with respect to MMP-8 rs34009635 or rs35866072.
Conclusion: The analyzed genotypes of MMP-8 play a minor role in determining individual susceptibility to CRC risk.Colorectal cancer (CRC) accounts for approximately 11% of all newly diagnosed cancer cases and is the third most common cancer worldwide, causing the second highest number of cancer-related deaths (1, 2). The pathogenesis of CRC involves various factors that contribute to complex genetic and epigenetic processes, ultimately leading to the transformation of normal colonic mucosa into cancerous tissue (3). Numerous molecular signaling networks implicated in CRC initiation and progression have been reported in the literature, including the ERK/MAPK, TGFβ, PI3K/Akt, Src/FAK, and β-catenin related signal transduction pathways. These pathways are associated with the hallmarks of cancer, such as inflammation, angiogenesis, metastasis, and invasion. Notably, activation and over-expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have been linked to these signal transduction pathways, making MMPs potential prognostic factors for CRC (4, 5). Thus, MMPs have been suggested to be potential prognostic factors for CRC. 3979