Artikel
Expression of gelatinases and their tissue inhibitors in human laryngeal carcinoma
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Veröffentlicht: | 8. August 2007 |
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Gliederung
Text
Extensive alterations cartilage extracellular matrix constituents were observed in squamous cell laryngeal carcinoma. These were mainly due to the elevated activity of metalloproteinases, and especially gelatinases, MMP-2 and -9, in unbalance with their specific tissue inhibitors. The work therefore focused in the expression of these macromolecules.
Specimens from 4 healthy individuals and 8 patients who underwent laryngectomy (cancerous and macroscopically normal tissue) were obtained and applied to immunohistochemical and RT-PCR analyses.
The expression of MMP-2 and -9 and of TIMP-1 and -2 was increased in cancer, in a stage-related order. The critical stage was stage II, after which there was not significant elevation in the expressions studied. The immunohistochemical examination suggested that MMP-2 and -9 were expressed mainly from normal cells, TIMP-1 absolutely from normal cells, whereas TIMP-2, especially in late stages, from both normal and cancer cells.
The obtained data demonstrated that tumor progression was closely related to the alteration of the expression of specific extracellular enzymes, the gelatinases, and their relative inhibitors. More specifically, gelatinases were expressed twice as much TIMPs, thus resulting in tumor increase and progression. These changes were easily observed in samples of late stages, suggesting that stage II is the most critical for laryngeal cancer treatment.