Significance of MMP-14 Expression in Breast Cancer

Objective To investigate the expression and clinical significance of MMP-14 protein in human breast cancers. Methods Forty-six human breast cancer tissues were collected. MT1-MMP protein was detected by immunohistochemistry assay and their correlations with clinicopathological factors were analyzed.Results The expression of MMP-14 protein was negative in normal breast tissues and positive in 52.2% of forty-six breast cancers tissues. The positive rates were 12.5%,54.8% and 85.7% in stageⅠ, stage Ⅱ and stage Ⅲ human breast cancers, respectively (P 0.05), and 11.1%, 59.4% and 80.0% in the group of T 1,T 2 and T 3 (P 0.05), and 27.3%, 66.7% and 100.0% in the group of N0,N 1 and N 2 (P 0.05). MMP-14 protein showed positive relation with VEGF (P 0.05), but no relations with and ER,PR or c-erbB-2(P 0.05). Conclusion MMP-14 protein in human breast cancers had positive correlation with the stage,the tumor size,lymph node metastasis and VEGF. It can be a predictor for the ability of breast cancer invasion and metatasis.