Korean J Obstet Gynecol.  2001 Mar;44(3):532-539.

The Matrix metalloproteinase-2 & -9, Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 & -2 mRNA Expression in Invasive Cervical Cancer

• Moon HS
• Choi EA
• Yoo MY
• Chung HW

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
Invasive cancer cells penetrate the extracellular matrix(ECM), including basement membrane during the metastatic cascades. Matrix metalloproteinases(MMPs) play a critical role in tumor invasion and metastasis and their activities are regulated by specific tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase(TIMPs). Aberrant ECM degradation in tumor biology is attributed to an imbalance in local MMP and TIMP activity, resulting in the overexpression or enhanced activation of MMPs or reduced TIMP expression. The aim of this study was to compare the MMP-2 & -9, TIMP-1 & -2 mRNA expression in cervical cancer with those in normal cervix and to investigate that their expression is related to cancer stages and other prognostic factors.
METHODS
The normal cervix and cervical cancer tissues were obtained from healthy women(n=14), and the patients with cervical cancer(n=31), respectively. Total RNA was extracted and reverse transcribed into cDNA. The expression of MMP-2 & -9, TIMP-1 & -2 mRNA was examined by quantative competitive PCR(QC PCR) and each results were analyzed by t-test and univariate analysis.
RESULTS
The expression of MMP-2, TIMP-1 mRNA in cervical cancer was higher than that in nomal cervix(p<0.05). The TIMP-2 mRNA expression was elevated in cervical cancer while that was not shown in normal cervix. The MMP-9 mRNA expression was not statistically different between normal cervix and cervical cancer(p>0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
These results suggested that increased MMP-2, TIMP-1 & -2 mRNA expression is an early event during malignant transformation of cervical cancer.

Keyword

invasive cervical cancer; MMP-2 & -9; TIMP-1 & -2 mRNA

MeSH Terms

Basement Membrane
Biology
Cervix Uteri
DNA, Complementary
Female
Humans
Matrix Metalloproteinase 2*
Matrix Metalloproteinases
Neoplasm Metastasis
RNA
RNA, Messenger*
Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1*
Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-2
Uterine Cervical Neoplasms*
DNA, Complementary
Matrix Metalloproteinase 2
Matrix Metalloproteinases
RNA
RNA, Messenger
Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1
Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-2