TIMP-2 intensity was not found to correlate with age (P=0.8; Fig. 2C), but was found to negatively correlate with baseline levels of calcitonin (r=−0.327; P=0.036), tumor size (r=−0.355; P=0.006; Fig. 2D) and tumoral stage (r=−0.395; P=0.001; Table II). Here, TIMP2 is linked to neoplasm.