Korean J Otolaryngol-Head Neck Surg.  1998 Sep;41(9):1169-1173.

Expression of Matrix-Metalloproteinase-2, Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator and Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 in Invasion Mode and Lymph Node Metastasis of Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

• Jin SM
• Lee SH
• Choi G
• Choi JO

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Metastatic process of carcinoma cells involves dissolution of tumor matrix and penetration of the basement membrane (BM) which involves the active proteolysis of type IV collagen, proteoglycan, laminin, and fibronectin. The hallmark of invasion is the penetration of epithelial BM by serine protease and matrix metalloproteinase. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) include type IV collagenase, interstitial collagenase, and stromelysin, where MMP-2 and MMP-9 are considered to be the most important in tumor invasion. Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA) promotes conversion of plasminogen to active plasminogen causing degradation of fibrin, fibronectin, proteoglycan, and laminin. Plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) is a specific inhibitor of u-PA, and it is involved in defense from tumor invasion through metastasis. In this thesis, the expression patterns of MMP-2, u-PA and PAI-1 were investigated in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma in tumor invasion and lymph node metastasis.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Tumor tissue from 50 cases of laryngeal cancer paraffin block specimens were used from the archives of Department of Pathology in Korea University hospital to study the expression pattern of MMP-2, u-PA, and PAI-1.
RESULTS
The results have shown that in laryngeal cancer, the positive expression rate for MMP-2 was 54%, u-PA 72%, and PAI-1 46%. The expression of MMP-2 was related with lymph node metastasis, and u-PA expression increased according to the increase of primary tumor staging. There were no significant relationship between the expression rates of MMP-2, u-PA, and PAI-1 with histopathologic grading and invasion mode. These results suggest that u-PA could be used as a biological marker for tumor size and MMP-2 for lymph node metastasis, whereas PAI-1 is not a significant marker for tumor invasion or lymph node metastasis.

Keyword

Matrix-metalloproteinase-2; Urokinase-type; plasminogen; activator; Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1; Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma

MeSH Terms

Basement Membrane
Biomarkers
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell*
Collagen Type IV
Collagenases
Fibrin
Fibronectins
Korea
Laminin
Laryngeal Neoplasms
Lymph Nodes*
Matrix Metalloproteinase 1
Matrix Metalloproteinase 3
Matrix Metalloproteinases
Neoplasm Metastasis*
Neoplasm Staging
Paraffin
Pathology
Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1
Plasminogen Activators*
Plasminogen*
Proteoglycans
Proteolysis
Serine Proteases
Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator*
Collagen Type IV
Collagenases
Fibrin
Fibronectins
Laminin
Matrix Metalloproteinase 1
Matrix Metalloproteinase 3
Matrix Metalloproteinases
Paraffin
Plasminogen
Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1
Plasminogen Activators
Proteoglycans
Serine Proteases
Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator