title: Expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 in preinvasive and invasive carcinoma of the uterine cervix.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the immunohistochemical expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) in preinvasive and invasive carcinoma of the uterine cervix so as to demonstrate whether the expression of MMP-2 is an early or late event in the process of dedifferentiation and cancer progression.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total number of 50 samples of cervical tissue were studied for MMP-2 immunoreactivity. The cases were selected to include ten normal cases used as a control group, 20 CIN cases and 20 cervical carcinoma cases. The CIN group was subdivided into CIN1 (n = 7), CIN2 (n = 6) and CIN3 (n = 7), while the carcinoma group was represented by squamous cell carcinoma (n = 16) and adenocarcinoma (n = 4).
  
  
  RESULTS
  MMP-2 expression was totally absent in control cervices and low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions, while high-grade squamous intraepithelial neoplasia and invasive carcinoma showed up-regulation of MMP-2 expression with no significant difference concerning the type of carcinoma. This overexpression of MMP-2 points to the possibility that it is an early marker of tumor progression in cervical carcinoma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MMP-2 has a key role in extracellular matrix degradation and invasion in carcinoma of the uterine cervix. Its expression in high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions may denote a potential risk for invasion and metastasis.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pathology, Gynecologic Oncology Unit, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nasr
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Ayyad
authors.forename: I K I
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: El-Lamie
authors.forename: M Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Mikhail
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D000328:Adult; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism*; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000378:metabolism; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2