[Matrix metalloproteinase-2 and angiogenesis in gastric cancer]

The proliferation and metastasis of solid tumor depend on angiogenesis. Experiment study showed that matrix metalloproteinase-2(MMP-2) may play an important role in angiogenesis of solid tumor. The current study was designed to explore the role and the significance of MMP-2 on angiogenesis in gastric cancer through observing the relationship between the expression of MMP-2 and microvessel density (MVD) in gastric cancer tissues, paracancerous tissues, and incisal margin normal tissues.

A total of 50 specimens resected was investigated by S-P immunohistochemical staining with a anti-MMP-2 monoclonal antibody and a monoclonal antibody against F VIII RAg. The expression of MMP-2 and MVD in various regions of the gastric cancer tissues, paracancerous tissues and incisal margin normal tissues were detected and the relationship between the expression of MMP-2 and MVD, as well as their relationship with clinicopathologic factors were analyzed.

The expression of MMP-2 negative or low in normal tissues. The high expression of MMP-2 in cancer tissues was significantly higher than in the paracancerous tissues (64.0% vs 28.0%, chi 2 = 7.48, P < 0.01). The low expression of MMP-2 in paracancerous tissues was significantly higher than in the normal tissues (52.0% vs 26.0%, chi 2 = 6.18, P < 0.05). The MVD in the cases with the high expression of MMP-2 was significantly higher than in those with the low expression of MMP-2 in cancer tissues and paracancerous tissues (30.71 +/- 7.41 vs 26.15 +/- 4.82, t = 2.11, P < 0.05; 15.31 +/- 5.23 vs 9.61 +/- 2.17, t = 3.98, P < 0.01). Moreover, the high expression of MMP-2 (81% vs 51.7%, chi 2 = 4.67, P < 0.05; 87.0% vs 44.4%, chi 2 = 9.47, P < 0.01; 81.8% vs 50.0%, chi 2 = 5.41, P < 0.05; 89.5% vs 48.4%, chi 2 = 8.63, P < 0.01) and its MVD (28.89 +/- 5.37 vs 25.21 +/- 5.37, t = 2.39, P < 0.05; 27.84 +/- 2.32 vs 25.12 +/- 3.45, t = 2.02, P < 0.05; 28.63 +/- 3.12 vs 25.53 +/- 4.23, t = 2.87, P < 0.01; 28.84 +/- 2.64 vs 25.31 +/- 4.35, t = 3.09, P < 0.01) in cancer tissues were significantly related with the serosal invasion, grade of differentiation, lymph node, and liver metastasis(P < 0.05-0.01).

The high expression of MMP-2 was significantly associated with MVD, biological behaviors of gastric cancer tissues, MMP-2 might be one of the important factors in the angiogenesis of gastric cancer.