Expressions of Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 and Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 in Progressive Gastric Cancer

Objective: To study the expressions of Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1(TIMP-1) in progressive gastric cancer(PGC), including the correlation between the MMP-9 and TIMP-1 and invasion metastasis of gastric cancer. Methods: The expressions of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 in 70 specimens with PGC were determined by immunohistochemistry method. The patients with PGC were retrospectively followed up. Results: Positive expression(66.67%) of MMP-9 in the patients with tumor invading into or over muscular layer was significantly higher than that(20%) of the patients with tumor in the mucous membrane or submucous tumor(p0.01). The positive expression of MMP-9 was relative to lymphnode and hepatic metastasis(P0.01). The expression of TIMP-1 lowered with the increasing depth of gastric cancer infiltration, which suddenly lowered when tumor broke through the serous membrane(P0.01). Conclusion: The over positive expression of MMP-9 and expression disbalance of TIMP-1 may be relative to gastric cancer metastasis; TIMP-1 may inhibit infiltrating metastasis of gastric cancer.