Expressions of thymidine phorsphorylase and matrix metalloproteinase-2 in gastric carcinoma

Objective To study the relationship between the expressions of TP,MMP-2 and invasion and metastasis in gastric cancer.Methods Expressions of TP and MMP-2 were detected in 69 specimens(10 normal gastric tissue,10 chronic gastritis,39 gastric carcinoma,10 metastatic lymph node of gastric cancer)by SP(Streptavidin-Peroxidase)immunohistochemistry.Results The expressions of TP and MMP-2 in gastric cancer and metastatic lymph node of gastric cancer were significantly higher than that in normal gastric tissues and chronic gastritis(P0.05).The expressions of TP and MMP-2 were not correlated with patients' age,sex and the degree of tumor differentiation.In regard to gastric carcinoma,expressions of TP in tumor size ≥5 cm group and T3-4 group were higher than that in tumor size 5 cm group and T1-2 group,respectively(P0.05);Significant difference was found in TP expression between the gastric cancer with and without distant metastasis(P0.05).The difference was significant between theⅠ-Ⅱgroup and Ⅲ-Ⅳ group.The positive expressions of MMP-2 in T1-2 group and T3-4 group were 60.87% and 93.75%,respectively.the difference was significant.In gastric cancer group with lymph node metastasis,the expression of MMP-2 was higher than that in the group without lymph node metastasis(P0.05).In regard to the clinical stage,the significant difference was observed in MMP-2 expression between Ⅰ-Ⅱ group and Ⅲ-Ⅳ group(59.09%,94.12%,respectively).We observed that the MMP-2 was not correlated with the size of the cancer and distant metastasis.The expression of MMP-2 in TP-positive gastric cancer tissues(88.00%)was higher than that in TP-negative tissues(50.00%).Conclusion Expressions of TP and MMP-2 in gastric cancer are significantly higher and correlated with progressive clinicopathologic parameter.TP may have a role in promoting metastasis by inducing the expression of the MMP-2.