Study of matrix metalloproteinases and their inhibitors in prostate cancer.
BACKGROUND
Extracellular matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) have raised an extraordinary interest in cancer research because of their potential role in basal membrane and extracellular matrix degradation, consequently facilitating tumour invasion and metastases development.


METHODS
An immunohistochemical study was performed using tissue arrays and specific antibodies against MMPs 1, 2, 7, 9, 11, 13, 14, and their tissue inhibitors, TIMPs 1, 2 and 3. More than 2600 determinations on cancer specimens from 133 patients with clinically localised prostate carcinoma, 20 patients with prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia and 50 patients with benign prostate hyperplasia and controls, were performed.


RESULTS
When compared with benign pathologies, prostate carcinomas had higher expression of all MMPs and TIMPs. Dendogram shows a first-order division of tumours into two distinct MMPs/TIMPs molecular profiles, one of them with high MMPs/TIMs expression profile (n=70; 52.6%). Tumours with high expression of MMP-11 or -13, or cluster thereof, were significantly associated with higher probability of biochemical recurrence.


CONCLUSIONS
The expression of MMPs and TIMPs seems to have an important role in the molecular biology of prostate carcinomas, and their expression by tumours may be of clinical interest to used as indicators of tumour aggressiveness.
Escaff
S
S
Servicio Urología, Hospital de Jove, Avda. Eduardo Castro s/n, Gijón, Asturias. Spain.
Fernández
J M
JM
González
L O
LO
Suárez
A
A
González-Reyes
S
S
González
J M
JM
Vizoso
F J
FJ
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000556:secondary; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D020782:Matrix Metalloproteinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D019048:Prostatic Intraepithelial Neoplasia / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015996:Survival Rate; D046888:Tissue Array Analysis; D019714:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinases / Q000378:metabolism*
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D019714:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinases; D020782:Matrix Metalloproteinases