title: Sequential production and activation of matrix-metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) with breast cancer progression.
abstract: The degradation of the basement membrane by matrix-metalloproteinase (MMP) and serine protease is a critical point in tumor invasion and metastasis. We measured the activity of MMP-9 from 28 normal, 12 benign and 126 breast cancer tissues using gelatin zymography with an image analysis system. ProMMP-9 was expressed in 17.5% of the cancer patients compared to 2.5% in 40 non-cancerous tissues (p = 0.014). The mature form of MMP-9 (82 kD) was expressed only in T2-T4 stages. During the early phase of breast cancer (DCIS and T1 stage) progression, only production of proMMP-9 increased. However, as the cancer grew or invaded skin (T2-T4), or with lymphovascular permeation, both production and activation of MMP-9 increased. In conclusion, proMMP-9 production was the main cause of increased MMP-9 activity during the early phase, while both production and activation increased in the late phase of breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Yonsei Cancer Center, Institute for Cancer Research, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: S Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Rha
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Roh
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Min
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Chung
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology*; D017364:Collagenases / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism*; D018450:Disease Progression; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D006801:Humans; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9
chemical_list: D017364:Collagenases; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9