title: Association of matrilysin-2 (MMP-26) expression with tumor progression and activation of MMP-9 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: Expression of matrilysin-2, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-26, has been implicated in the progression of several types of human cancer. Matrilysin-2 has been reported to be a physiological and pathological activator of pro-MMP-9. The aim of this study was to examine matrilysin-2 expression and determine whether it is correlated with progression of human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, immunohistochemical analysis, zymography and an in vitro invasion assay were performed. Matrilysin-2 mRNA expression was undetectable or only faintly detected in non-tumor tissues, but its overexpression was detected in 24 of the 50 ESCC tissues. Matrilysin-2 overexpression was significantly correlated with depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis and an advance in pathological tumor node metastasis (pTNM) stage. Sections with immunostaining signals in >10% of carcinoma cells at the invasive front, which were observed in 46 of 100 cases, were judged to be positive for matrilysin-2 expression. Matrilysin-2 expression was significantly correlated with depth of invasion, lymph node and distant metastasis, advance in pTNM stage and recurrence. Expression of matrilysin-2 was significantly correlated with nuclear beta-catenin expression and MMP-9 expression. Patients with matrilysin-2-positive cancer had significantly shorter overall and disease-free survival periods than did those with matrilysin-2-negative cancer. Matrilysin-2 expression retained its significant predictive value for overall and disease-free survival in multivariate analysis. Moreover, patients with concomitant expression of matrilysin-2 and MMP-9 had the worst prognosis. Zymography revealed that matrilysin-2 expression was significantly correlated with expression of active MMP-9 in ESCC tissues. Matrilysin-2-transfected TE-1 ESCC cells showed active MMP-9 activity and were more invasive in vitro compared with mock-transfected TE-1 cells. The results of this study suggest that matrilysin-2, the expression of which is closely correlated with nuclear beta-catenin expression and active MMP-9 activity, plays a key role in the progression of ESCC.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, South-1, West-16, Chuo-ku, Sapporo 060-8543, Japan. h-yama@sapmed.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Akravit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vinitketkumnuen
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Adachi
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
authors.forename: Tamaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hirata
authors.forename: Nobuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Miyamoto
authors.forename: Katsuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nosho
authors.forename: Arisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Imsumran
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hosokawa
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hinoda
authors.forename: Kohzoh
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Imai
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018450:Disease Progression; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000378:metabolism*; D020782:Matrix Metalloproteinases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D053505:Matrix Metalloproteinases, Secreted; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000473:pathology; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015996:Survival Rate; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014162:Transfection; D051176:beta Catenin
chemical_list: C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051176:beta Catenin; C410599:MMP26 protein, human; D020782:Matrix Metalloproteinases; D053505:Matrix Metalloproteinases, Secreted; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9