title: [Clinical significance of matrix metalloproteinase-2 expression in patients with epithelial ovarian tumor].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship between the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and clinical characteristics of patients with epithelial ovarian tumor.
  
  
  METHODS
  Reverse transcriptase-ploymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the expression of MMP-2 in 41 epithelial ovarian cancer and 26 ovarian benign tumors. Western blot analysis was used to examine proMMP-2 and active MMP-2 in these tumors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The expression of MMP-2 gene and protein was not significantly higher in malignant tissues than that in benign ones. The positive percentage of active MMP-2 expression in epithelial ovarian cancer was 71% and 42% in ovarian benign tumor (P < 0.05). The positive percentage of active MMP-2 in stage IlI and IV epithelial ovarian cancer was significantly higher than in stage I and II epithelial ovarian cancer (P < 0.05). The positive percentage of active MMP-2 in progressive patients with epithelial ovarian cancer was significantly higher than in patients in remission (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MMP-2 gene and protein were generally expressed in epithelial ovarian tumor. There was a significant correlation between active MMP-2 and the invasion and metastasis of epithelial ovarian cancer. Active MMP-2 is a prognostic indicator in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Song
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009375:Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial / Q000378:metabolism*; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D011379:Prognosis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C522361:MMP2 protein, human; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2