Expression of MMP-2, MMP-9, TIMP-1, and TIMP-2 in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma tissue

Aim: To investigate the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2,-9(MMP-2, MMP-9) and the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1,-2 (TIMP-1, TIMP-2) in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC)tissue. Methods:MMP-2,MMP-9,TIMP-1,and TIMP 2 expression were detected by using immunohistochemical staining and Western blot in 41 cases of ESCC and its normal tissue. Results: Expression of MMP-9 in ESCC tissue was correlated with lymph node metastasis and venous invasion (P0.05 or 0.01). MMP-9 expression rate in ESCC (63.41%) was higher than that of normal tissue (12.20%) (P0.01). The expression rate and protein value of MMP-9 (3.02±0.56) were significantly higher than those of MMP-2 (17.07%,2.26±0.51), TIMP-1 (39.02%,1.25±0.45), and TIMP-2 ( 34.15%,1.31±0.44) in ESCC tissues (P0.05 or 0.01). The expression of MMP-9 was negatively correlated to that of TIMP-1 in ESCC tissue (χ2=29.3,P0.01).Conclusion: The expression of MMP-9 is closely correlated to lymph node metastasis and venous invasion of ESCC. The imbalance of MMP/TIMP may be the main causes of invasion and metastasis in ESCC. Combined detecting of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 may serve as a tool for determining tumor biological behavior.