Matrix metalloproteinase expression in normal skin associated with basal cell carcinoma and in distal skin from the same patients.
OBJECTIVE
To obviate the difficulty of ruling out confounding variables (eg, age, individual variability) as the source of differences seen when comparing tumor tissue and control tissue from unrelated individuals, we examined the expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1 (interstitial collagenase) and MMP-9 (92-kDa gelatinase B) in histologically normal skin immediately adjacent to basal cell carcinomas (peritumoral tissue) after Mohs micrographic surgery and postauricular skin from the same patients.


METHODS
Peritumoral and postauricular skin samples were obtained from 17 patients undergoing Mohs surgery. Expression of MMP-1 and MMP-9 was examined in these specimens using a combination of approaches including zymography, collagen-degradation assays, and immunohistology.


RESULTS
The expression levels of MMP-1 and MMP-9 were consistently elevated in the peritumoral tissue compared with skin from the distal site.


CONCLUSIONS
This finding indicates that even when potentially important variables such as age and individual variability are controlled for, tumor-specific effects on the expression of MMP-9 and MMP-1 remain.
Monhian
Nathan
N
Department of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, 48109, USA.
Jewett
Brian S
BS
Baker
Shan R
SR
Varani
James
J
D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000601:surgery; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005347:Fibroblasts; D006801:Humans; D015603:Keratinocytes; D020781:Matrix Metalloproteinase 1 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015580:Mohs Surgery; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000601:surgery
D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9; D020781:Matrix Metalloproteinase 1