Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-4 is expressed in cervical cancer patients.
BACKGROUND
Tissue Inhibitors of Metalloproteinases (TIMPs) play a critical role in extracellular matrix remodeling, which is involved in tumor growth and metastasis. Elevated TIMP levels are reported in association with cancer progression. In particular, it has been shown that TIMP-1 and -2 levels are increased in cervical cancer patients. We analyzed, for the first time, TIMP-4 expression in cervical tumor samples.


METHODS
Semiquantitative RT-PCR was performed in 26 tumor and 6 normal cervical samples.


RESULTS
The study included 32 samples, 7 IB samples, 9 IIB samples, 10 IIIB samples and a control group (n =6) of normal cervical squamous epithelial tissues. Whereas none of the control samples expressed TIMP-4, 24 (88%) of the 26 cervical cancer samples expressed the inhibitor. Higher TIMP-4 levels were found in advanced stage disease (p=0.016, Chi-square test).


CONCLUSIONS
TIMP-4 is expressed de novo in cervical cancer. Higher inhibitor expression levels were found in stages II and III.
Lizarraga
Floria
F
Subdirección de Investigación Básica, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, DF Mexico.
Espinosa
Magali
M
Maldonado
Vilma
V
Melendez-Zajgla
Jorge
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000378:metabolism; D018450:Disease Progression; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D019714:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinases / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D014162:Transfection; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology*; D000097792:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-4
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D019714:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinases; D000097792:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-4