title: Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-4 is expressed in cervical cancer patients.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Subdirección de Investigación Básica, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, DF Mexico.
authors.forename: Floria
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lizarraga
authors.forename: Magali
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Espinosa
authors.forename: Vilma
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Maldonado
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Melendez-Zajgla
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D019714:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinases; D000097792:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-4