Expression of tissue levels of matrix metalloproteinases and their inhibitors in breast cancer

BackgroundWe examined mRNA expression for MMP-2, MMP-7, MMP-9, MT1-MMP, TIMP-1, and TIMP-2 in human breast cancer tissues, and the association between their expression and clinicopathological variables.Patients and methodsBreast tissue samples from 120 patients with breast cancer were available for this study. To determine mRNA expression for MMP-2, MMP-7, MMP-9, MT1-MMP, TIMP-1, and TIMP-2, semiquantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was carried out on tumor and normal tissues, respectively.ResultsMean MMP-2, MMP-7, MMP-9, MT1-MMP, TIMP-1, and TIMP-2 mRNA expression in the breast cancer was significantly higher than in the normal tissue. In terms of tumor size and lymph node metastasis of breast cancer, the differences in MMP-2, MMP-7, MMP-9, and MT1-MMP mRNA expression levels were significant.ConclusionThe association between the increased expression of MMP-2, MMP-7, MMP-9, and MTI-MMP and clinicopathological parameters reflects a role in predicting the aggressive behavior of breast cancer.