Figure 1

Urinary MMP expression is elevated in samples from PDAC and pNET patients. Representative urine samples (1–4) from Control and pNET and PDAC cancer patients analysed via substrate gel electrophoresis (zymography) with gelatin as the substrate (A). Multiple MMP species were detected including MMP-2 (∼68 kDa) and MMP-9 monomer (∼92 kDa), MMP-9 dimer (∼180 kDa) and MMP-9/NGAL complex (∼140 kDa). Molecular weight markers are indicated. Percentages of patients with positive MMP expression for each of the three study groups for uMMP-2, uMMP-9, uMMP-9/NGAL complex, and uMMP-9 dimer (B). Controls (white bar), pNET (grey bar) and PDAC (black bar). Asterisks denote significantly higher percentages of patients in pNET and PDAC groups versus controls (all P<0.01) with respect to uMMP-2, uMMP-9 and uMMP-9/NGAL. Percentage of PDAC patients with positive expression for uMMP-9 dimer was significantly higher than controls (P<0.01) or pNET (P<0.01) with no differences between pNET vs controls (P=0.45). The error bars represent 95% CIs around the observed proportions to provide the precision of the activity data for the four uMMPs in each of the three groups. For each uMMP, Pearson χ² was applied to assess overall group differences in percentages with positive expression with PDAC and pNET patients compared with healthy controls using Fisher’s exact test.