Table 3.
Relationship between MMP3 level and clinicopathologic features (N = 60)
| Characteristics | No. of Patients | MMP3 Δ Cta | Non-parametric | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | Mean ± SD | test value | ||
| Age (years) | |||||
| < 60 | 36 | 60.0 | 6.58 ± 2.93 | Z = -1.192 | 0.233 |
| ≥ 60 | 24 | 40.0 | 5.63 ± 2.78 | ||
| Gender | |||||
| Female | 19 | 31.7 | 6.26 ± 3.17 | Z = -0.087 | 0.930 |
| Male | 41 | 68.3 | 6.17 ± 2.79 | ||
| Smoking history | |||||
| Nonsmoker | 32 | 53.3 | 6.60 ± 3.10 | Z = -0.963 | 0.335 |
| Smoker | 28 | 46.7 | 5.75 ± 2.60 | ||
| Alcohol history | |||||
| Nondrinker | 38 | 63.3 | 6.59 ± 2.90 | Z = -1.350 | 0.177 |
| Drinker | 22 | 36.7 | 5.53 ± 2.79 | ||
| Tumor size (cm) | |||||
| ≤ 4 | 32 | 53.3 | 6.28 ± 3.06 | Z = -0.030 | 0.976 |
| > 4 | 28 | 46.7 | 6.11 ± 2.73 | ||
| Lymph node metastasis | |||||
| pN0 | 28 | 46.7 | 7.96 ± 2.75 | Z = -4.549 | 0.000 |
| pN1 to pN2 | 32 | 53.3 | 4.66 ± 2.00 | ||
| TNM stage | |||||
| I-II | 22 | 36.7 | 7.24 ± 3.23 | Z = -2.040 | 0.041 |
| III-IV | 38 | 63.3 | 5.60 ± 2.52 | ||
| Pathological differentiation | |||||
| Well | 25 | 41.7 | 7.09 ± 3.15 | Z = -1.897 | 0.058 |
| Moderately/poorly | 35 | 58.3 | 5.57 ± 2.54 | ||
| Disease Site | |||||
| Tongue | 25 | 41.7 | 6.19 ± 2.93 | H = 1.942 | 0.746 |
| Gingival | 8 | 13.3 | 5.70 ± 2.96 | ||
| Cheek | 9 | 15.0 | 5.44 ± 3.02 | ||
| Floor of Mouth | 12 | 20.0 | 6.62 ± 2.89 | ||
| Oropharynx | 6 | 10.0 | 7.21 ± 2.95 | ||
| Recurrence | |||||
| No | 50 | 22.5 | 6.42 ± 2.93 | Z = -1.309 | 0.190 |
| Yes | 10 | 77.5 | 5.10 ± 2.52 | ||
Abbreviations: SD, standard deviation; pN, pathological lymph node status; TNM stage, tumor-lymph node-metastasis stage.
aΔ Ct indicates the difference in the cycle number at which a sample's fluorescent signal passes a given threshold above baseline (Ct) derived from a specific gene compared with that of β-actin in tumor tissues.