roles of osteopontin and matrix metalloproteinase-7 in occurrence, progression, and prognosis of nonsmall cell lung cancer

background: this study detected osteopontin (opn) and matrix metalloproteinase-7 (mmp-7) expressions to explore the roles of opn and mmp-7 in the occurrence, progression, and prognosis of nonsmall cell lung cancer (nsclc). materials and methods: a retrospective study was conducted on nsclc tissues ( n = 152; case group) and adjacent nonneoplastic lung parenchyma (adjacent to tumor >5 cm; n = 152; control group) collected from 152 nsclc patients. the protein expressions of opn and mmp-7 were detected by immunohistochemistry. opn and mmp-7 messenger rna (mrna) expressions were detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rt-pcr). results: the protein and mrna expressions of opn and mmp-7 in nsclc tissues were evidently higher than those in adjacent nonneoplastic lung parenchyma (all p < 0.05). opn protein and mrna expression were associated with the degree of differentiation, tumor node metastasis (tnm) staging, and lymph node metastasis in nsclc (all p < 0.05). mmp-7 protein expression was associated with tnm staging and lymph node metastasis (both p < 0.05) while mmp-7 mrna expression was associated with the degree of differentiation, tnm staging, and lymph node metastasis (all p < 0.05). a significantly positive relativity was revealed between opn expression and mmp-7 expression (protein: r = 0.789, p < 0.001; mrna: r = 0.377, p < 0.001). lymph node metastasis, tnm staging, opn, and mmp-7 protein expressions were independent risk factors for the prognosis of nsclc (all p < 0.05). conclusion: high mmp-7 and opn protein expressions are closely related to the occurrence, progression, and prognosis of nsclc, and can be served as unfavorable prognostic factors for nsclc.