RESUMEN
Objective To investigate the relationship between the biological characteristics and the expres-sion of stromlysin (MMP-7) and microvessel density (MVD) in breast cancer tissue and the effect of MMP-7 on MVD of breast cancer. Methods 60 fresh samples were obtained from patients with breast cancer,and then the ex-pression of MMP-7 and vascular endothelial cell CD34 were studied by means of immunohistochemical assay (SP method). The relationship between MMP-7, MVD and age, tumor size, histological type, lymph node metastasis and expression of ER, PR, PCNA, p53 and CerbB2 was studied. The relationship between the biological characteristics and the expression of MMP-7 and MVD in breast cancer were evaluated. Results The positive expression rote of MMP-7 in the d>2 cm group,the group with lymph node metastasis,the group with positive expression of PCNA, p53 and C-erbB-2 (78.1%,74.2%,71.8%,67.6% and 72.2%)were all higher than that in the d≤2 cm group, the group without lymph node metastasis,the group without positive expression of PCNA,p53 and C-erbB-2(32.1%, 41.3%,38.1%,38.5% and 33.3%) (P<0.05). MVD was higher in the positive breast cancer tissue of the group of d>2 cm(34.61±6.97), the group with lymph node metastasis (34.37±7.50), PCNA ( 33.24±8.39), p53 (33.28±8.94), C-erbB-2 (33.55±8.57) than in the negative breast cancer tissue of the d≤2 cm group ( 28.60±9.82), the group without lymph node metastasis (27.48±8.66), PCNA (26.88±7.89), p53 (21.71± 7.59),C-erbB-2(27.42±27.69) (P<0.05). MVD(33.62±7.36)/ high power lens in the MMP-7 positive group was higher than that (27.86±9.45)/high power lens in the MMP-7 of negative group(P<0.05). The posi-tive expression of MMP-7 was correlated with MVD (r=0.380, P<0.05). Conclusion The high expression of MMP-7 and MVD is associated with the development and metastasis of breast cancer. MMP-7 could promote the mi-crovessel development in mammary cancer.