Background and Objectives: Degradation of basement membranes and extracelluar matrix is a essential step in tumor cell migration, invasion and metastasis formation. Two types of Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), MMP-2 and MMP-9 are active in the diges...
Background and Objectives: Degradation of basement membranes and extracelluar matrix is a essential step in tumor cell migration, invasion and metastasis formation. Two types of Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), MMP-2 and MMP-9 are active in the digestion of type Ⅳ collagen, the main constituent of the basement membrane. Based on this background, we investigated the expression patterns of Type Ⅳ collagenase (MMP-2 and MMP-9) in squamous cell carcinoma, adenoid (acantholytic) squamous cell carcimoma, and its precancerous conditions, actinic keratosis and Bowen's disease by immunohistochemical technique. Materials and Methods: Formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissues from 5 actinic keratosis, 5 Bowen's diseases, 5 adenoid squamous cell carcinoma, and 5 squamous cell carcinoma were immunolabelled with monoclonal antibodies directed against MMP-2 and MMP-9. Result: For MMP-2, actinic keratosis, Bowen's disease, adenoid squamous cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma was expressed to relative low level in tumor cells. Bowen's disease showed a negative staining for MMP-9, but in microinvasive area of actinic keratosis and adenoid lining cells of adenoid squamous cell carcinoma was a positive staining or MMP-9. In Bowen's disease, squamous cell carcinoma, and adenoid squamous cell carcinoma, dyskeratotic cells and acantholytic cells were stained for MMP-2 but for MMP-9, only in adenoid squamous cell carcinoma. Conclusion: This finding suggested that MMP-9 may be related to tumor invasion to surrounding stroma and that MMP-2 and MMP-9 may be involves in the apoptotic process of the tumor cells.