These observations suggest that MT1-MMP possesses a role as a determinant of lymph node metastasis in HNSCC, and that concurrent expression of MT1-MMP and MMP-2 are involved in progression of HNSCC.
Quantitative RT-PCR for membrane-types 1, 2 and 3 MMPs (MT1, 2 and 3-MMPs), which activate proMMP-2 in vitro, demonstrated that MT1-MMP is predominantly expressed in the carcinoma tissues, and the expression level is significantly higher in the carcinomas with lymph node metastasis than in those without metastasis (P < 0.05) or the control samples (P < 0.05).
Decreased expression of fibronectin and MMP2 in lymph node metastases was further confirmed by real-time polymerase chain reaction assays performed on five additional specimen pairs.
Densitometric analysis revealed MMP-2 expression and lymph node metastases to be positively and TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 to be negatively correlated with lymph node metastases.
MMP-2 expression was significantly associated with parametrium invasion (P=0.004) and lymph node metastasis (P=0.015), but not with cancer recurrence, recurrence-free and overall survival rates of these patients.
We investigated the differential expression of MMP-2, 7, 9, 11, and 13 and their endogenous inhibitors (TIMP-1, 2, and 3) by quantitative real-time RT-PCR in 25 primary tumors, their corresponding lymph node metastases and/or liver metastases and matched normal mucosa.
Silencing of LASS2/TMSG1 gene in PC-3M-2B4 cells increased V-ATPase activity, extracellular hydrogen ion concentration and in turn the activation of secreted MMP-2 and MMP-9, which coincided with enhancing cell proliferation, cell survival, and cell invasion in vitro, as well as acceleration of prostate cancer (PCA) growth and lymph node metastases in vivo.
Functional analysis of cellular proliferative activities, by MTT assay, and invasive potential, by Transwell assay, was conducted on SW620 cells expressing low levels of miR‑185. miR‑185 was found to be significantly downregulated in cancer tissues compared with adjacent non‑cancerous tissues, and was negatively correlated with lymph node metastasis of colon cancer (P<0.001). miR‑185 overexpression in vitro impeded cellular proliferation and invasive potential with reduced expression of HIF‑2α, PCNA and MMP‑2 in SW620 cells transfected with an miR‑185 mimic.
The rates of CD44st and MMP2 expression were higher in squamous cell carcinomas than in adenocarcinomas, were closely associated with lymph node metastasis and TNM stage, and affected patients' prognoses.
Serum MMP-2 and TIMP-2 concentrations in NSCLC patients correlated with the tumour size and presence of metastases to lymph nodes and thus may serve as an auxiliary parameter indicating probability of a more advanced stage of lung cancer.
An association was observed between matrix metalloproteinase-2, matrix metalloproteinase-9, and matrix metalloproteinase-2/matrix metalloproteinase-9 overexpression and clinicopathological factors, such as ulceration and lymph node metastasis.
A clinical data analysis demonstrated that the expression of the receptor for AGEs (RAGE), Specificity Protein 1 (Sp1), and matrix metallopeptidase -2 (MMP2) was significantly higher in cancerous tissues compared with non-tumor tissue in Chinese Han patients with CRC and that RAGE expression was closely associated with lymph node metastasis and TNM stage.
Metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) is a multi-functional protein which has been shown to be up-regulated in patients with oral cancer, especially those with lymph node metastasis.