RESUMO
PURPOSE: The metalloproteinases (MMP) and their inhibitors (TIMP) have been suggested to play a role in tumor invasion and metastasis. There have been some dispute on the exact role of TIMP and MMP in tumor progression. The purpose of this study is to prove TIMP expression in relation with prevention of tumor progression including invasion or metastasis with MMP expression. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We have performed immunohistochemical staining of MMP-2, MMP-9 and TIMP-2 on 15 cases of benign prostatic hyperoplasia (BPH), and 30 cases of prostatic carcinomas which were classified as angio or neural invasion positive (PC-2) and negative group (PC-1). RESULTS: MMP-2, MMP-9, and TIMP-2 were not detected in BPH. PC-2 pateints had higher levels of collagenases than BPH, while PC-1 patients had higher levels of TIMP-2 and lower levels of MMP-2, MMP-9 than PC-2. Expression of TIMP-2 were inversely proportional to collagenases. CONCLUSION: We conclude that highly invasive prostatic carcinoma (PC-2) contained relatively high levels of MMP-2, MMP-9 and low amounts of TIMP-2. These results are discussed with respect to the possible role of MMPs and TIMP in prostatic tumor progression.