The Expressions Of Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMP-3,-7) And Tissue Inhibitor Of Metalloproteinases (TIMP-1) In Esophageal Carcinoma

Objective: This study was aimed to investigate the expressions of MMP-3,-7 (matrix metalloproteinase-3,-7) and TIMP-1 (tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1) in esophageal carcinomas and in normal pericarcinomatous tissues, and to clarify the relationship between MMP/TIMP expressions and esophageal carcinomas of different clinico-pathological staging (TNM staging, tumor-node-metastasis staging), depth of tumor invasion, different tumor cell types (SCC, squamous cell carcinoma and NSCC, non-squamous cell carcinoma), differentiation of tumor cells, and with or without regional nodular invasion. Meanwhile, the relationship between the expressions of MMP and TIMP and relapse and/or metastasis one year after operations of esophageal carcinomas was also analyzed, so as to primarily make sure whether these indexes could be used to judge invasion and metastasis of esophageal carcinomas and evaluate the prognosis.Methods: Immunohistochemistry was used to study the expressions of MMP-3, -7, and TIMP-1 in SCC, NSCC and normal tissues around them; and the relationship between their expressions and clinico-pathological parameters was analyzed by statistical methods.Results: Among 80 esophageal carcinoma tissues, the positive rate of MMP-3, -7 and TIMP-1 expressions were 78.7%, 78.7% and 30.0% respectively, while none of them was expressed in normal tissues around carcinoma, and their expressions in carcinoma tissues were significantly higher than those in normal tissues around carcinoma (all P<0.001). The degree of MMP-3, -7 expressions was well associated with TNM staging (both P<0.001), depth of tumor invasion (both P<0.001), regional nodular invasion (both P<0.001) and relapse and/or metastasis of the tumors one year after operations, but was not related to types of tumor cells (P=0.792 and 0.436respectively) and differentiation of tumor cells (P=0.196 and 0.646 respectively). The expressions of TIMP-1 were associated with none of the parameters mentioned above (all P>0.1). The expressions of MMP-3 in carcinoma tissues were well related to those of MMP-7, while all of them were not related to the expressions of TIMP-1 in carcinoma tissues.Conclusions: The increased expressions of MMP-3, -7 and comparatively deficient expressions of TIMP-1 are related to invasion and metastasis of esophageal carcinomas. The expressions of MMP-3, -7 in esophageal carcinoma tissues may be used as indexes to judge invasion and metastasis of esophageal carcinomas and evaluate the prognosis. Either substitute treatment using exogenous TIMP-1 or MMP inhibitors or gene therapy might be a new way in helping treat esophageal carcinoma.