Correlation of Radiologic and Pathologic Lymph Non Involvement with TIMP-2 ( tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase-2 ) in Gastric and Colon Carcinomas / 대한암학회지

PURPOSE: To evaluate the correlation between the expression of TIMP-2 (tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase-2) and negative lymph node involvement of colon and gastric carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied 26 cases (13 each) of gastric and colon carcinoma specimens along with dissected lymph nodes by immunohistochemical staining to investigate the correlation of the expression of TIMP-2. Lymph nodes involvement by CT scan was defined by size criteria and the presence of central low density. RESULTS: Eight cases with positive lymph node involvement by CT scan showed weak expression of TIMP-2. Ten cases with positive lymph node involvement had weak expression of TIMP-2. Among eight cases with strong expression of TIMP-2 7 patients were negative by radiologic exam. Good correlation between strong TIMP-2 expression and negative lymph node involvement by CT scan was found (<0.05). CONCLUSION: As the expression of TIMP-2 had a good correlation with radiologic involvement of lymph nodes, the study of expression of TIMP-2 in patients with stomach and colon carcinoma might be helpful in planning surgery and predicting the prognosis.

Immunodetection of Metalloproteinases(MMP-2 and MMP-9) and Tissue Inhibitors of Metalloproteinases(TIMP-2) in Breast Cancer Tissues

The enhanced process of proteolysis of both the basement membrane and the stromal extracelluar matrix (ECM) contributes to the escape of breast cancer cells into the neighboring tissues, eventually leading to the formation of distant metastases. A group of enzymes thought to play a role in tumor cell invasion are the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Much attention has been focused on MMP-2 and MMP-9, which are 2 members of the MMP family active against collagen of the basement membrane. The enzymatic activities of MMP-2 and MMP-9 are inhibited by the tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs). TIMP-2, one member of TIMPs, inhibits MMP-2 and MMP-9. The imbalance between TIMPs and MMPs permits to tumor invasion and metastasis. Theretore, TIMPs constitute promising targets in the developmemt of anticancer terapies. Immunohistological stainings of MMP-2, MMP-9 and TIMP-2 were performed on paraffin-embedded tissue sections of 31 invasive breast carcinomas. MMP-2 and MMP-9 were associated with neoplastic cell cytoplasms in 65% of the cases and exhibited inter-tumoral variability of the staining intensity. The MMP-2 and MMP-9 stainings did not correlate with presence of metastases at time of diagnosis. TIMP-2 was detected in the peri-tumoral stroma and was present in 81% of the cases. Residual benign breast tissue was negative for TIMP-2 staining. Neoplasms with diffuse TIMP-2 staining (32%) have metastasis significantly more frequently (50% metastasis) than ceses with focal (20% metastasis) or absent (0% metastasis) TIMP-2. We conclude that the clinical outcome such as metastasis is more closely related to the presence of TIMP-2 than the corresponding MMPs. Enhanced TIMP-2 expression, therefore, may denote a stromal response to tumor invasion, indicative of aggressive behavior in the subset breast carcinoma.