We isolated and analyzed three distinct EV populations from the ascites of patients with ovarian cancer or cirrhosis and observed that Annexin V-binding EVs have higher levels of matrix metalloproteinase 9 in malignant compared to portal-hypertensive ascites.
Although statistically not significant, hepatocellular carcinoma without cirrhosis showed a higher E-cadherin expression and a lower matrix metalloproteinase-9 expression than hepatocellular carcinoma with cirrhosis, which could be partially responsible for the less aggressive behavior found in hepatocellular carcinoma without cirrhosis when compared with hepatocellular carcinoma with cirrhosis.