RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: The present study was conducted to evaluate the tissue inhibitor of matrix-metalloproteinase (TIMP-2), which leads to tumor proliferation, invasion and metastasis and which can be used as a prognostic factor for cervical carcinoma, and to correlate TIMP-2 with recurrence in cervical carcinoma. METHODS: Thirty-three cases of cervical carcinoma and ten control cervices were analysed for expression of TIMP-2 by immunohistochemical staining. Results were analysed for possible correlation with prognostic factors. RESULTS: Lymph node metastasis, lymphovascular invasion, and recurrence groups showed a lower expression tendency of TIMP-2 in tumor cells (0.67 vs 0.88, 0.77 vs 0.93, 0.78 vs 0.91) (p>0.05). However, there was no statistical significance in the correlation of TIMP-2 expression with tumor variables. On the other hand, in stromal cells, deep invasion (>or=5 mm), squamous cell carcinoma groups showed a higher expression tendency of TIMP-2 (0.80 vs 0.67, 0.74 vs 0.40) (p>0.05) but, there was no statistical significance. However, recurrence group showed a significantly lower expression of TIMP-2 in stromal cells (0.33 vs 0.83) (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: In spite of no statistically significant correlation in tumor cells, recurrence group showed a significantly lower expression of TIMP-2 in stromal cells. Therefor there was an inverse correlation between expression of TIMP-2 in stromal cell and recurrence. These results indicate that expression of TIMP-2 in stromal cells is closely correlated with the recurrence of cervical carcinoma.