Matrix metalloproteinases-2 and -9 in cervical cancer: different roles in tumor progression.
The incidence of uterine cervical cancer has increased slightly in Western countries, with an increase in relatively young women. Overexpression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs)-2 and -9 has turned out as a prognostic factor in many cancers. We compared the expression of the proteins MMP-2 and MMP-9 in cervical primary tumors with clinical outcome and risk factors of cervical cancer. One hundred sixty-one patients with cervical cancer treated in Umeå University Hospital or Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Sweden, between 1991 and 1995 were included in the study. Paraffin-embedded tissue samples obtained prior to treatment were examined immunohistochemically by specific antibodies for MMP-2 and MMP-9. Forty-two percent of the tumors were intensively positive for MMP-2 and 31% for MMP-9. Nineteen percent of the samples were intensively positive for both proteinases and 47% negative or weak for both. Overexpression of MMP-2 seemed to predict unfavorable survival under Kaplan-Meier analysis and in the multivariate analysis. Early sexual activity and low parity seemed to correlate to overexpression of MMP-2. MMP-9 was not associated with survival or sexual behavior. Intensive MMP-9 was noted in grade 1 tumors. We conclude that MMP-2 and MMP-9 have different roles in uterine cervical cancer. MMP-2 could be associated with aggressive behavior, but MMP-9 expression diminishes in high-grade tumors.
Rauvala
M
M
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the University Hospital of Oulu, PL 24, Fin-90029 OYS, Oulu, Finland. martia.rauvala@oulu.fi
Aglund
K
K
Puistola
U
U
Turpeenniemi-Hujanen
T
T
Horvath
G
G
Willén
R
R
Stendahl
U
U
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D003271:Contraceptive Agents, Female / Q000494:pharmacology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 / Q000502:physiology*; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015996:Survival Rate; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology
D003271:Contraceptive Agents, Female; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9