title: Lymph node micrometastasis and its correlation with MMP-2 expression in gastric carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) expression in gastric cancer tissues and to evaluate its relationship with lymph node micrometastasis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors studied 850 lymph nodes resected from 30 patients with gastric carcinoma who underwent gastrectomy with lymphadenectomy using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay in addition to H-E staining. MMP-2 expression of the tumor tissues was detected by immunohistochemical technique (EliVision plus).
  
  
  RESULTS
  MMP-2 expression was positive in 21 (70%) cases and negative in 9 (30%) cases. No significant correlations were found between MMP-2 expression and other variables such as age, gender, tumor location, tumor diameter, Lauren classification and lymphatic invasion. In contrast, MMP-2 expression correlated significantly with depth of tumor infiltration (P = 0.022), lymph node metastasis (P = 0.030) and tumor differentiation (P = 0.043). Lymph node micrometastases were detected in 77 (12.5%) lymph nodes of 14 (46.7%) gastric carcinoma patients. MMP-2 expression was positive in 12 (85.7%) of the 14 patients with lymph node micrometastasis, and in 9 (56.3%) of the 16 patients without lymph node micrometastasis (P = 0.118).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results demonstrate that MMP-2 expression has significant correlation with tumor invasion, tumor differentiation and lymph node metastases. MMP-2 expression may be an important biological characteristics and significant prognostic parameter of gastric carcinoma. We also conclude that MMP-2 may participate in the development of lymph node micrometastasis of gastric carcinoma. Further investigations are needed to draw a conclusion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, Guangdong Province, China.
authors.forename: Ze-Yu
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Jing-Hua
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wen-Hua
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Zhan
authors.forename: Yu-Long
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011379:Prognosis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2