The clinical significance of matrix metal proteinases 2,9 and tissue inhibitor of metal proteinases in cervical carcinoma

Objective To investigate the clinical significance of matrix metal proteinases 2, 9 (MMP2, MMP9) and tissue inhibitor of metal proteinases1,2 (TIMP1,TIMP2) in cervical carcinoma. Methods Immunohistochemicall method was employed to detect the expression of MMP2, MMP9, TIMP1 and TIMP2 in 43 case of cervical carcinoma. Results The positive rates of MMP2, MMP9 expression in cervical carcinoma tissue were 27.9%, 25.6%, which were significantly higher than those in the corresponding normal tissues (P0.05 and 0.01). And the expression of TIMP2 was not detected in stage Ⅲ, ⅡB cervical carcinoma tissues or metastatic lymph nodes, which was significantly different from that in stage Ⅰ, ⅡA carcinoma tissue or tissues without lymph node metastasis. A positive correlation was observed between the expression of TIMP and cervical carcinoma staging, lymph node metastasis. Conclusion MMP may be involved in progression of cervical carcinoma and the expression of TIMP might be associated with the changes of biological behavior of cervical carcinoma.