Background: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a highly malignant central nervous system tumor that is extremely refractory to therapy due to its rapid growth and local invasive potential. The ability of glioma cells to invade the surrounding tissue has been attributed to the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) in human gliomas. The -1306C/T polymorphism in the MMP-2 gene has been found to be associated with gastric adenocarcinoma, lung cancer and various other cancers including GBM. Racial and ethnic variations are known in such genetic polymorphisms.
Aims: This prospective, case control study was aimed to find out an association of MMP-2 gene polymorphism with susceptibility to develop glioblastoma in Indian population.
Material and methods: MMP-2 gene polymorphism was studied using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) in 110 GBM patients and 150 healthy controls. The SPSS 17.0 statistical software (Chicago, IL, USA) was used for data management and analysis.
Results and conclusions: A significant association of MMP-2 (-1306C/T) polymorphism with GBM (P = 0.475) was not found, suggesting that MMP-2 (-1306C/T) polymorphism is not associated with increased GBM susceptibility.