The Relationship Between The Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMPS) And Their Regulative Factors And Cervical Lymph Node Metastasis Of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Background and objectiveNasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) has its highest incidence rate in Southern China and is one of the most common cancers in Southeast Asia. It is a highly metastatic and invasive malignant tumor. NPC often spreads out clinically before forming a mass in the primary lesion. Essential steps in the process of tumor invasion and metastasis include the degradation of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and basement membrane (BM). The invasion of the BM by tumor cells is thought to be one of the critical steps in metastasis. Many proteolytic enzymes degrade components of the ECM and BM. Among these, the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are critical for tumor cell invasion and metastasis. Previous experimental and clinicopathological studies have revealed a good correlation between expression of MMP1, MMP2, MMP9 and NPC. The relationship between expression of EMMPRIN and cervical metastasis in NPC has not been studied. The role of MMP-2, MMP-9, LMP-1, TIMP-2 and their relationships between each other during NPC metastasis have not been published. To make the mechanism of NPC metastasis clear and screen some molecular biology makers which could predict NPC invasion, In our study we use immunohistochemitry and in situ hybridization to test the expression of EMMPRIN, MMP-2, MMP-9, LMP-1 and TIMP-2.Materials and Methods1 Tissue Samples. 53 specimens were obtained from patients with NPC who underwent biopsy at the Shantou University Tumor Hospital and Shantou central hospital from 1996 to 2003. All the specimans were divided into three groups: 15 cases chronic nasopharyngitis (CN group); 20 cases of no metastasis NPC (NM-NPC group, tumour stages were classified according to the TNM classification of the International Union against Cancer); 33 cases of lymph node metastasis NPC (LNM-NPC group), it worth to point out that they were paired cases both with tissues from primary tumor and its metastatic tumor in cervical lymph node. All cases were diagnosed by veteran pathologist or clinical doctor. Forty-one patients were male, and twelve patients were female (mean age, 51.9 years; range, 30-76years). Specimens were fixed in 10% formaldehyde solution and embedded in paraffin.