the role of matrix metalloproteinase-2 expression in gastric cancer susceptibility: a systematic review

Context: gastric carcinoma (gc) is the most commonly diagnosed cancer that has been one of the main causes of cancer death worldwide. the matrix metalloproteinase-2 (mmp2) gene was expressed in the gastric cancer tissues compared to the matched normal tissues that are associated with the metastasis of gastric cancer cells. objectives: this systematic review was performed to investigate the role of mmp-2 in gastric cancer among the different population. evidence acquisition: we searched on electronic databases such as pubmed, scopus, science direct and cochrane library database without any language restriction for relevant publications which were published until april 2019. results: thirty two original and relevant studies that evaluate the association between gastric cancer and mmp-2 were included. this systematic review indicated that increased mmp-2 expression has been seen in gastric cancer. mmp-2 over-expression may play a crucial role in degrading extracellular matrix as well as stimulate angiogenesis. conclusions: mmp2 over-expression can play a critical role in tumor metastasis, tumor size, invasion, and lymph node invasion in gc.