[Expression of MMP-2 and its clinical significance in cervical squamous carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship of the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) with tumorigenesis, development and metastasis of cervical squamous carcinoma. METHODS: The expression and distribution of MMP-2 protein were detected by using immunohistochemical SP method. The active protein and mRNA of MMP-2 were determined by using gelatin Zymography and RT-PCR, respectively. The relationships between those indexes and the factors related to clinical pathology of cervical carcinoma were analyzed statistically. RESULTS: Immunohistochemical studies demonstrated that MMP-2 was expressed in 81.13% of squamous cell carcinomas (SCC), but was less frequently expressed in high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL, 47.62%, 10/21) and low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL, 10.00%, 1/10, P<0.01). In SCC, MMP-2 protein was expressed in 91.30%(21/23) of patients, which positively correlated with lymph node metastasis significantly (P<0.05). And the expression of MMP-2 was not significantly related to the pathological grade, or stage status. By direct analysis of enzyme activities we found that the gelatinolytic activity of MMP-2 was significantly higher in SCC [(5.81 +/- 2.17)x10(4)] than in HSIL [(2.28 +/- 0.83) x10(4), P<0.01] and LSIL [(1.94 +/- 0.71)x10(4), P<0.01]. Expression of MMP-2 mRNA was significantly higher in carcinoma(0.87 +/- 0.44) than in HSIL(0.46 +/- 0.22, P<0.01) and in LSIL(0.37 +/- 0.20, P<0.01). CONCLUSION: The positive expression of MMP-2 can be used to estimate the metastatic potentiality and help the adjuvant treatment. MMP-2 is related well with the occurrence, invasion and metastasis of cervical squamous carcinoma.