Gelatinases A and B expression in human colorectal cancer in upper Egypt: a clinicopathological study.

AIM: Prognosis of colorectal carcinoma depends on many factors, such as age and sex of patient; location; multiplicity; local extent and size of tumor, bowel obstruction, or perforation; as well as tumor microscopic type and grade; vascular and perineural invasion; and nodal and distant metastasis. The matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a family of proteolytic enzymes strongly implicated in tumor invasion and metastasis, hence in tumor prognosis. The purpose of this study was to assess the role of MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression in colorectal tumorigenesis, invasion, and metastasis, hence their prognostic values.

METHOD: Immunohistochemical analysis of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in colorectal cancer cells, an immunohistochemical score based on the intensity of immunoreactivity and proportion of immunoreactive cells that established for each MMP, and correlation of this expression with the established prognostic factors.

RESULTS: MMP-2 was expressed in 81.8% (strong expression in 40%) of cases, and MMP-9 was expressed in 72% (strong expression in 35%) of cases.

CONCLUSIONS: MMP-2 and MMP-9 are widely expressed in colorectal carcinoma, suggesting significant diagnostic and prognostic values in these tumors. Increased levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 protein expression in colorectal carcinoma tissues as compared to normal tissues suggest their association with colorectal tumor invasion and metastasis and that they could be targets for intervention and therapy in colorectal carcinoma.