Expression of MMP-2,TIMP-2 in hepatic cellular cancer and their clinical significance

Objective To explore the expression and bionomics of matrix metalloproteinase type 2(MMP-2) and tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase type 2 (TIMP-2) in hepato cellular carcinoma(HCC).Methods Fifty-four paraffin samples of HCC patients undergone operation but accepted no other therapy before operation with complete clinical data were collected in this study.Five paraffin samples of normal liver tissue obtained from surgical trauma patients were collected as control group.The expression of MMP-2 and TIMP-2 in HCC and normal hepatic tissue was detected by SP immunohistochemistry.Results The buffy granulose granulose objects were judged as positive stainings,and the positive expression of MMP-2 and TIMP-2 was found in cytoplasm of HCC cells. In HCC,the positive percent of TIMP-2 was 38.9%,and MMP-2 was 75.9% which was higher than that of TIMP-2(P0.05).The correlation was found between the expression of MMP-2 and pathological stage,pathological grade and portal vein cancer embolus. The expression of TIMP-2 had a relationship with pathological stage and pathological grade,but no relationship with portal vein cancer embolus.The positive expression of MMP-2 and TIMP-2 declined in HCC tissues with integrated,disruptive and disappeared envelope in turn. There was no positive expression of MMP-2 and TIMP-2 in normal hepatic tissue.Conclusions The expression of MMP-2 and TIMP-2 could be important indexes in judging invasive and metastatic potency of HCC.