Immunohistochemical Expression of MMP-7 and MMP-13 in Chronic Cutaneous Ulcers and Squamous Cell Carcinomas

Jeong, Yun; Sung, Kee Han; Lee, Sook Kyung

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The risk of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is significantly increased in chronic cutaneous ulcers. Moreover, if the proliferating epithelium of the ulcer margin shows pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia, it can be very difficult to discriminate between the two diseases. Enzymes such as matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are thought to be implicated at all stages of tumorigenesis.
OBJECTIVE
We investigated the expression patterns of epithelial MMP-7 and MMP-13 in chronic ulcers and SCCs by an immunohistochemical technique and the usefulness in differentiating these two entities.
METHODS
Formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissues obtained from 16 chronic ulcers and 12 SCC patients were studied using an immunohistochemical staining method for MMP-7 and MMP-13.
RESULTS
MMP-7 and MMP-13 were expressed by the malignant tumor cells of 4 (33.3%) and 9 SCC samples (75%), respectively, while they were absent from the proliferating epithelium of chronic ulcers.
CONCLUSION
Our results suggest that epithelial expression of both MMP-7 and MMP-13 have a specificity in differentiating the benign epithelial proliferation of chronic ulcer from malignant tumor cells, but MMP-13 seems to be a more sensitive and useful marker due to the lower sensitivity of MMP-7 in SCCs.