title: Gelatinases A and B expression in human colorectal cancer in upper Egypt: a clinicopathological study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Prognosis of colorectal carcinoma depends on many factors, such as age and sex of patient; location; multiplicity; local extent and size of tumor, bowel obstruction, or perforation; as well as tumor microscopic type and grade; vascular and perineural invasion; and nodal and distant metastasis. The matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a family of proteolytic enzymes strongly implicated in tumor invasion and metastasis, hence in tumor prognosis. The purpose of this study was to assess the role of MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression in colorectal tumorigenesis, invasion, and metastasis, hence their prognostic values.
  
  
  METHODS
  Immunohistochemical analysis of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in colorectal cancer cells, an immunohistochemical score based on the intensity of immunoreactivity and proportion of immunoreactive cells that established for each MMP, and correlation of this expression with the established prognostic factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MMP-2 was expressed in 81.8% (strong expression in 40%) of cases, and MMP-9 was expressed in 72% (strong expression in 35%) of cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MMP-2 and MMP-9 are widely expressed in colorectal carcinoma, suggesting significant diagnostic and prognostic values in these tumors. Increased levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 protein expression in colorectal carcinoma tissues as compared to normal tissues suggest their association with colorectal tumor invasion and metastasis and that they could be targets for intervention and therapy in colorectal carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Egypt. ola67oh@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Ola M
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Omran
authors.forename: Mostafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thabet
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D001706:Biopsy; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D004534:Egypt; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C522361:MMP2 protein, human; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9