Cutaneous carcinomas and preinvasive neoplastic lesions. Role of MMP-2 and MMP-9 metalloproteinases in neoplastic invasion and their relationship with proliferative activity and p53 expression.

摘要

BACKGROUND: Metalloproteinases (MMPs) are thought to be involved in the process of destruction of basement membranes and stromal invasion by neoplastic epithelial cells. AIMS: In order to investigate the role of MMPs in cutaneous oncogenesis we studied the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in 34 cases of epidermal preinvasive neoplastic lesions and invasive carcinomas. We also studied their relationship with the expression of tissue inhibitors of MMPs and with proliferative activity and p53 expression in neoplastic epithelial cells. RESULTS: MMP-9 was found to be focally expressed by neoplastic epithelial cells at the infiltrative edges in microinvasive carcinomas and in dyskeratotic foci in Bowen's disease and widely invasive carcinomas. Gradation of Mib-1 positivity and p53 expression was found with increasing abnormality in the spectrum of malignancy. CONCLUSIONS: Our results seem to suggest the involvement of MMPs in microinvasive carcinomas, which show also low proliferative activity and p53 expression, whether other factors seem to be more important in widely invasive carcinomas.