VEGF and metalloproteinase 2 (MMP 2) expression in gastric cancer tissue

摘要

Angiogenesis plays a vital part in the progression and metastasis of of tumor. The aim of the study was to investigate the expression of VEGF and MMP-2 in the tissue of gastric cancer in patients with metastases. Tissue from 24 patients with a histopathologically diagnosed mucosal and adenomucosal gastric cancer were tested. Patients were divided into two equal groups: patients without metastases (G1) and patients with metastases in the liver (G2). In all tissues of group G1 and group G2 tested, the expression of VEGF and metalloproteinase 2 respectively was estimated. Results revealed a statistically significant increase in the VEGF expression for G1 and G2 in relation to the margin (p1<0,001; p2<0,001). The increase of gen expression for VEGF did not significantly differ statistically in G1 and G2. The obtained results revealed a statistically significant difference in the increase of gen expression for MMP-2 in G1 in relation to the margin (p<0,05) and a very high one in G2 in relation to the average margin value (p<0,001). A highly statistically significant correlation was obtained for VEGF and MMP-2 in the tissue of patients with metastases (p<0,001; r=0,714). A highly elevated expression of MMP-2 in the tissue of gastric cancer in patients with metastases confirms its participation in the invasiveness of the neopla-smatic process. The highly significant correlation between VEGF and MMP-2 might prove a connection between both mechanisms in the progression of gastric cancer.