CHUNG-HAN HSINCHIAO-WEN LINSHUN-FA YANG2026-10-162026-10-162014-11-25Pure ID: 15414815Pure UUID: edcbd1b6-d2f7-42b3-981e-49655c1d672410.1371/journal.pone.0113129https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/84912575533https://scholars.csmu.edu.tw/handle/123456789/28280Background: Matrix metalloproteinase-11 (MMP-11) is reported to be overexpressed in several cancers and may contribute to tumorigenesis. The current study investigated the association between the clinicopathological characteristics and plasma level of MMP-11 in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients. Methodology and Principal Findings: The plasma MMP-11 concentration was determined by ELISA on 330 male OSCC patients. In addition, the metastatic effects of the MMP-11 knockdown on the oral cancer cells were investigated by cell migration assay. Our results showed that the plasma MMP-11 levels were significantly higher in patients with advanced T status (p = 0.001), lymph node metastasis (p = 0.006) and higher TNM stages (p<0.001). Moreover, treatment with the MMP-11 shRNA exerted an inhibitory effect on migration in SCC9 oral cancer cells. Conclusion: Our study showed that plasma level of MMP-11 may be useful for assessment of the disease progression, especially lymph node metastasis, in patients with OSCC.enjournal article