Prostate cancer is one of the most common malignancies worldwide, with significant morbidity and mortality. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are crucial enzymes involved in the degradation and remodeling of the extracellular matrix, playing a pivotal role in cancer development, invasion, and metastasis. This study aimed to investigate the potential regulatory role of MMP gene polymorphisms in prostate cancer risk and progression.

A case-control study was conducted, involving 420 prostate cancer patients and 100 healthy controls. Genotyping was performed for 10 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the MMP1, MMP2, MMP3, MMP8, and MMP9 genes. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between these polymorphisms and prostate cancer risk. Additionally, functional annotation of the identified polymorphic variants was conducted using computational bioinformatics tools to explore their potential biological significance.

Significant differences in MMP SNPs were observed between prostate cancer patients and healthy controls.

The polymorphic loci MMP2 (c.836 C > G, rs17576) and MMP2 (c.1721 A > G, rs2250889) were identified as protective factors for prostate cancer, with odds ratios (OR) of 0.71 and 0.55, respectively, under allelic and additive models. Conversely, the TT genotype of MMP3 (c.-1306 C > T, rs243865) and the AA genotype of MMP9 (c.1331-163 G > A, rs3787268) were associated with increased susceptibility to prostate cancer, with ORs of 0.31 and 2.36, respectively. Furthermore, the AA genotype of MMP9-rs3787268 was significantly linked to lymph node metastasis (p = 0.007) and high-risk D'Amico classification (p = 0.015), indicating its role in disease progression.

This study highlights the significant associations between specific MMP gene polymorphisms and prostate cancer risk. The TT genotype of MMP3 (rs243865) and the AA genotype of MMP9 (rs3787268) were strongly associated with increased prostate cancer susceptibility. Notably, the AA genotype of MMP9-rs3787268 was also linked to advanced disease features, such as lymph node metastasis and high-risk classification. These findings suggest that MMP gene polymorphisms may serve as potential biomarkers for prostate cancer risk and progression, providing insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying prostate cancer development and offering potential targets for personalized therapeutic strategies. Further research is warranted to validate these findings and explore their clinical applications.