Proteolytic imbalance is reversed after therapeutic surgery in breast cancer patients

Knock down of TIMP-2 by siRNA and CRISPR/Cas9 mediates diverse cellular reprogramming of metastasis and chemosensitivity in ovarian cancer

BACKGROUND

The endogenous tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP-2), through its homeostatic action on certain metalloproteinases, plays a vital role in remodelling extracellular matrix (ECM) to facilitate cancer progression. This study investigated the role of TIMP-2 in an ovarian cancer cell line in which the expression of TIMP-2 was reduced by either siRNA or CRISPR/Cas9.

METHODS

OVCAR5 cells were transiently and stably transfected with either single or pooled TIMP-2 siRNAs (T2-KD cells) or by CRISPR/Cas9 under the influence of two distinct guide RNAs (gRNA1 and gRNA2 cell lines). The expression of different genes was analysed at the mRNA level by quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR) and at the protein level by immunofluorescence (IF) and western blot. Proliferation of cells was investigated by 5-Ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) assay or staining with Ki67. Cell migration/invasion was determined by xCELLigence. Cell growth in vitro was determined by 3D spheroid cultures and in vivo by a mouse xenograft model.

RESULTS

Approximately 70-90% knock down of TIMP-2 expression were confirmed in T2-KD, gRNA1 and gRNA2 OVCAR5 ovarian cancer cells at the protein level. T2-KD, gRNA1 and gRNA2 cells exhibited a significant downregulation of MMP-2 expression, but concurrently a significant upregulation in the expression of membrane bound MMP-14 compared to control and parental cells. Enhanced proliferation and invasion were exhibited in all TIMP-2 knocked down cells but differences in sensitivity to paclitaxel (PTX) treatment were observed, with T2-KD cells and gRNA2 cell line being sensitive, while the gRNA1 cell line was resistant to PTX treatment. In addition, significant differences in the growth of gRNA1 and gRNA2 cell lines were observed in in vitro 3D cultures as well as in an in vivo mouse xenograft model.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that the inhibition of TIMP-2 by siRNA and CRISPR/Cas-9 modulate the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-14 and reprogram ovarian cancer cells to facilitate proliferation and invasion. Distinct disparities in in vitro chemosensitivity and growth in 3D culture, and differences in tumour burden and invasion to proximal organs in a mouse model imply that selective suppression of TIMP-2 expression by siRNA or CRISPR/Cas-9 alters important aspects of metastasis and chemosensitivity in ovarian cancer.

Extracellular matrix alterations in the skin of patients affected by psoriasis

BACKGROUND

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease dependent upon a complex interaction between genetic predisposition and immunological factors. It is characterized by skin lesions throughout the body, causing great morbidity and affecting life quality. The present study aimed to evaluate the protein and mRNA expression of heparanase-1 (HPSE), heparanase-2 (HPSE2), syndecan-1 (SYND1), metalloproteinases (MMP2, MMP9), and tissue inhibitor metalloproteinases 2 (TIMP2) in skin samples.

METHODS

From each psoriasis patient, two samples were collected, one sample from a psoriasis plaque (n = 23) and the other sample from non-affected skin (n = 23), as well as tissue collected by blepharoplasty from control individuals (n = 18). Protein expression was investigated by immunohistochemistry, followed by digital quantification. Quantitative RT-PCR obtained mRNA expression. Statistical analyses were done, and p values < 0.05 were considered significant.

RESULTS

A significant increase in protein and mRNA expression was observed in both heparanases (HPSE and HPSE2), and higher protein levels of MMP9 and TIMP2 were observed in the psoriasis plaque compared to the non-affected skin. The data point to a probable activation of MMP2 by TIMP2. Moreover, there was a significant increase in HPSE2, SYND1, MMP9, and TIMP2 in non-affected skin samples from patients with psoriasis than in the control sample (tissue obtained by individuals who do not have psoriasis).

CONCLUSIONS

These results show a possible correlation between the characteristic inflammatory process and alterations in the expression of the extracellular matrix in psoriasis. The increased expression of HPSE2, SYND1, MMP9, and TIMP2, even in the absence of psoriatic plaque, indicates that these molecules may be involved with extracellular matrix changes in the initial alterations the psoriatic process and may be candidates for the development of target treatments.

Clinical significance of plasma MMP-2 and MMP-9 levels as biomarkers for tumor expression in breast cancer patients in Egypt

Matrix metallopeptidase 2 (MMP-2) and matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP-9) are involved in the breakdown of extracellular matrix in normal physiological processes as well as in disease processes, such as cancer metastasis. We conducted this work to study the role of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in breast cancer by measuring their plasma concentrations before and after surgery. Also, to examine if their levels can reflect the stage of disease and prognosis. Forty-eight breast cancer patients and 13 patients with benign breast diseases were included in the study. MMP-2 and MMP-9 levels were measured by ELISA and semi-quantitative real-time PCR. MMP-2 and MMP-9 levels in plasma were determined by ELISA immediately before surgery and during 6 to 12 months after curative surgery. We observed a significant increase in the level of MMP-9 mRNA expression in breast cancer patients in comparison to their normal breast tissues and to tissues of benign breast disease. In all TNM tumor stages, the plasma levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 were increased significantly before curative surgery in the studied patients with breast carcinoma and decreased significantly after surgery. Both MMP-2 and MMP-9 may be used as a possible marker for follow-up or as a marker that reflects the response of the disease to treatment.

Ras-related protein Rap2c promotes the migration and invasion of human osteosarcoma cells

Ras-related protein (Rap)2a and Rap2b are members of the GTP-binding protein family, and serve an important function in tumor progression. However, the associations between Rap2c and cancer cell functions have not yet been reported. Osteosarcoma is a type of bone cancer; its high degree of invasion is considered to be a major treatment challenge. The present study first investigated the biological role of Rap2c in human osteosarcoma cells and investigated the underlying mechanism of Rap2c on osteosarcoma cell migration and invasion. The results of the present study demonstrated that Rap2c overexpression promoted the migratory and invasive ability of cancer cells, and increased the activity of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP2). Correspondingly, the knockdown of Rap2c inhibited tumor cell migration and invasion, whereas alterations to Rap2c had no effect on osteosarcoma cell proliferation or rate of apoptosis. Furthermore, Rap2c overexpression may decrease the protein level of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 2 and increase the phosphorylation level of protein kinase B (Akt). Collectively, these results indicated that Rap2c has a key function in tumor migration and invasion, and the Akt signaling pathway may be involved in Rap2c-induced MMP2 expression.

Solute carrier family 12 member 5 promotes tumor invasion/metastasis of bladder urothelial carcinoma by enhancing NF-κB/MMP-7 signaling pathway

Solute carrier family 12 member 5 (SLC12A5), an integral membrane KCl cotransporter, which maintains chloride homeostasis in neurons, is aberrantly expressed and involved in the tumorigenesis of certain cancers. However, the clinical significance and biological role of SLC12A5 in human bladder urothelial carcinoma (BUC) remains unclear. In this study, the expression of SLC12A5 was examined in clinical specimens of primary BUC and in BUC cell lines using quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), western blot and immunohistochemistry (IHC). The prognostic value of SLC12A5 expression and its correlation with the clinicopathological features of patients with BUC were analyzed statistically. A series of in vitro and in vivo assays were performed to elucidate the effect of SLC12A5 in BUC and its underlying mechanisms. The present results showed that SLC12A5 expression was significantly increased in BUC tissues. SLC12A5 expression significantly correlated with the tumor node metastasis (TNM) stage. Kaplan–Meier survival curves showed that high SLC12A5 expression was associated with poor survival in patients with BUC. Multivariate analysis indicated that SLC12A5 expression was an independent prognostic marker for the survival of patients. Downregulation of SLC12A5 inhibited the migratory and invasive abilities of BUC cells in vitro, and knocking down SLC12A5 diminished BUC metastasis in vivo. Moreover, we identified that SLC12A5 promoted the migration and invasion of BUC by enhancing MMP-7 expression via NF-κB-dependent transcription. Taken together, our findings indicated that SLC12A5 might function as a tumor metastasis promoting factor in the development and progression of BUC by regulating the NF-κB/MMP-7 signaling pathway. Thus, SLC12A5 might be a prognostic marker as well as a therapeutic target for BUC.

Plasma Levels and Diagnostic Utility of Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor, Matrix Metalloproteinase-9, and Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinases-1 as New Biomarkers of Breast Cancer

Background

Macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), and its specific tissue inhibitor - tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) may play an important role in the pathogenesis and spread of cancer. We investigated the plasma levels of M-CSF, MMP-9, and TIMP-1 in comparison with a commonly accepted tumor marker CA 15-3 in breast cancer patients and in control groups.

Methods

The cohort included 110 breast cancer patients in groups at stages I-IV. The control group consisted of 50 healthy volunteers and 50 benign tumor patients. Plasma levels of M-CSF, MMP-9, and TIMP-1 were determined by using ELISA, while CA 15-3 concentrations were determined by using chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay (CMIA).

Results

The results showed significant differences in concentrations of the analyzed parameters and in levels of CA 15-3 between the groups of breast cancer patients and the two control groups. Diagnosis using these markers was equal to that using CA 15-3 in terms of sensitivity, predictive values of positive and negativetest results (PPV, NPV) and area under the ROC curve (AUC) in the studied groups. The diagnostic specificities of MMP-9, TIMP-1, M-CSF, and CA 15-3 showed equally high values (95%). The combined use of all tested parameters with CA 15-3 resulted in increased sensitivity, NPV, and AUC, especially in the combination of M-CSF with tumor markers (76%, 64%, and 0.8653).

Conclusions

These findings suggest the tested parameters are useful in the diagnosis of breast cancer patients (except stage I), when combined with CA 15-3.

Therapy of psoriasis with narrowband ultraviolet-B light influences plasma concentrations of MMP-2 and TIMP-2 in patients

BACKGROUND

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which show a significant ability to cleave the components of extracellular matrix, and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs), which slow down the activity of those enzymes, may be implicated in the pathogenesis and spread of psoriatic disease. This study aims to analyze plasma levels of MMP-2 and TIMP-2 in plaque psoriasis patients before and after the course of narrowband ultraviolet-B (NBUVB) therapy with respect to disease advancement.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 49 patients suffering from plaque psoriasis and 40 healthy volunteers were enrolled into the study. Plasma levels of MMP-2 and TIMP-2 were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, while Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) was used to define the disease advancement.

RESULTS

The results showed increased plasma levels of MMP-2 and TIMP-2, but this change was significant only in case of MMP-2 in total psoriatic group compared to healthy subjects. Moreover, there was an increase in the concentrations of chosen factors with an increase in the severity of the disease. The NBUVB therapy causes a decline in the concentration of the analyzed enzyme and its inhibitor, although this change was statistically significant in the total psoriatic group only in case of MMP-2. There was also a positive correlation between MMP-2, TIMP-2, and PASI score value.

CONCLUSION

Our study highlights a possible important role of MMP-2 in the activity of psoriasis and clearance of disease symptoms. Moreover, plasma MMP-2 seems to be a valuable psoriasis biomarker.

MMP-TIMP interactions in cancer invasion: An evolutionary game-theoretical framework

One of the main steps in solid cancers to invade surrounding tissues is degradation of tissue barriers in the extracellular matrix. This operation that leads to initiate, angiogenesis and metastasis to other organs, is essentially consequence of collapsing dynamic balance between matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMP). In this work, we model the MMP-TIMP interaction in both normal tissue and invasive cancer using evolutionary game theory. Our model explains how invasive cancer cells get the upper hand in MMP-TIMP imbalance scenarios. We investigate dynamics of them over time and discuss stable and nonstable states in the population. Numerical simulations presented here provide the identification of key genotypic features in the tumor invasion and a natural description for phenotypic variability. The simulation results are consistent with the experimental results in vitro observations presented in medical literature. Finally, by the provided results the necessary conditions to inhibit cancer invasion or prolong its course are explained. In this way, two therapeutic approaches with respect to how they could meet the required conditions are considered.

PinX1 serves as a potential prognostic indicator for clear cell renal cell carcinoma and inhibits its invasion and metastasis by suppressing MMP-2 via NF-κB-dependent transcription

PIN2/TRF1-interacting telomerase inhibitor 1 (PinX1) is a novel cloned gene which has been identified as a major haploinsufficient tumor suppressor essential for maintaining telomerase activity, the length of telomerase and chromosome stability. This study explored the clinical significance and biological function of PinX1 in human clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). The clinical relevance of PinX1 in ccRCC was evaluated using tissue microarray and immunohistochemical staining in two independent human ccRCC cohorts. Our data demonstrated that PinX1 expression was dramatically decreased in ccRCC tissues compared with normal renal tissues and paired adjacent non-tumor tissues. Low PinX1 expression was significantly correlated with depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis and advanced TNM stage in patients, as well as with worse overall and disease-specific survival. Cox regression analysis revealed that PinX1 expression was an independent prognostic factor for ccRCC patients. Moreover, PinX1 inhibited the migration and invasion of ccRCC by suppressing MMP-2 expression and activity via NF-κB-dependent transcription in vitro. In vivo studies confirmed that PinX1 negatively regulated ccRCC metastasis and the expression of MMP-2 and NF-κB-p65. These findings indicate that PinX1 suppresses ccRCC metastasis and may serve as a ccRCC candidate clinical prognostic marker and a potential therapeutic target.

PinX1 inhibits the invasion and metastasis of human breast cancer via suppressing NF-κB/MMP-9 signaling pathway

Background

PinX1 (PIN2/TRF1-interacting telomerase inhibitor 1) was suggested to be correlated with tumor progression. This study was designed to evaluate the role of PinX1 in human breast cancer.

Methods

To evaluate the function of PinX1 in breast cancer, we used a tissue microarray (TMA) of 405 human breast cancer patients and immunohistochemistry to analyze the correlation between PinX1 expression and clinicopathologic variables and patient survival. We also detected the abilities of cell migration and invasion in breast cancer by performing cell migration and invasion assay, gelatin zymography and western blot analysis. Lastly, we set up the nude mice model by Tail vein assay to exam the functional role of PinX1 in breast cancer metastasis.

Results

We found that low PinX1 expression was associated with lymph node metastasis (P = 0.002) and histology grade (P = 0.001) in patients, as well as with poorer overall and disease-specific survival (P = 0.010 and P = 0.003, respectively). Moreover, we identified that PinX1 inhibited the migration and invasion of breast cancer by suppressing MMP-9 expression and activity via NF-κB-dependent transcription in vitro. Finally, our mice model confirmed that PinX1 suppressed breast cancer metastasis in vivo.

Conclusions

Our data revealed that low PinX1 expression was an independent negative prognostic factor for breast cancer patients. These findings suggested that PinX1 might be function as a tumor metastasis suppressor in the development and progression of breast cancer by regulating the NF-κB/MMP-9 signaling pathway, and might be a prognostic marker as well as a therapeutic target for breast cancer.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12943-015-0332-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

SPAG9 expression is increased in human prostate cancer and promotes cell motility, invasion and angiogenesis in vitro

Sperm-associated antigen 9 (SPAG9) is a recently characterized oncoprotein involved in the progression of several human malignancies. To elucidate the role of SPAG9 in the development of human prostate cancer (PCa), tissue microarray (TMA) and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the clinical relevance of SPAG9 in PCa tissues. We found that SPAG9 expression was increased in the PCa tissues when compared with the level in the tumor adjacent normal prostate tissues, and increased SPAG9 staining was significantly correlated with TNM stage and tumor grade. We also examined prostate cancer cell motility, invasion and angiogenesis ability following reduced SPAG9 expression by siRNA. Our data showed that knockdown of SPAG9 in prostate cancer cell lines inhibited cell motility and invasion due to the inactivation of metalloproteinase-2 (MMP‑2)/MMP-9 by upregulation of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1)/TIMP-2. Furthermore, downregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) secretion greatly contributed to the reduced ability of angiogenesis. Our data indicate that SPAG9 expression is significantly increased in PCa and it may be involved in the process of prostate cancer cell motility, migration and angiogenesis.

Cullin1 is a novel marker of poor prognosis and a potential therapeutic target in human breast cancer

BACKGROUND

To investigate the role of Cullin1 (Cul1) in the development of breast cancer, we examined the expression of Cul1 in breast cancer tissues and analyzed the correlation between Cul1 expression and clinicopathologic variables and patients survival.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We evaluated the Cul1 expression by immunohistochemistry using a tissue microarray (TMA) which includes 393 breast cancer tissues. We also studied the role of Cul1 in breast cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion by carrying out CCK8 cell proliferation assay, cell migration and invasion assay.

RESULTS

The Cul1 expression was significantly correlated with breast cancer histology grade (P = 0.000), estrogen receptor status (P = 0.001), progesterone receptor status (P = 0.001) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 status (P = 0.002). Furthermore, we showed a strong correlation between high Cul1 expression and worse 5-year overall and disease-specific survival rates in breast cancer patients (P = 0.026 and P = 0.015, respectively). Finally, we found that Cul1 knockdown inhibits cell proliferation, migration and invasion abilities.

CONCLUSIONS

Cul1 overexpression is significantly correlated with breast cancer progression and predicts worse survival. Cul1 regulates breast cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion.

Preoperative serum levels of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and survival of breast cancer among Korean women

BACKGROUND

Matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) has been thought of as a predictor of recurrence or metastasis risk or prognostic markers in cancer. We evaluated whether preoperative serum levels of MMP-2 work as a prognostic biomarker in breast cancer prognosis.

METHODS

Preoperative serum levels of MMP-2 were measured with ELISA in 303 patients with histologically confirmed breast cancer. The median follow-up time for all patients was 4.24 years. The relationship of MMP-2 to survival was investigated using Cox proportional hazard regression model adjusted for the tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage and estrogen receptor (ER) status.

RESULTS

In the multivariate analysis, disease-free survival (DFS) was worse among patients with the third tertile of MMP-2 level than with the first tertile of MMP-2 level [hazard ratio, 1.80; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.04-3.11; P = 0.04]. However, when the patients were stratified by age, ER status, histologic grade, and nuclear grade, inverse correlation was shown between serum MMP-2 levels and prognostic factors, and the associations between MMP-2 and DFS were only significant among patients with poor prognostic factors (HR, 2.75; 95% CI, 1.32-5.73 in ER-negative; HR, 2.90; 95% CI, 1.42-5.92 in histologic grade III; and HR, 2.61; 95% CI, 1.26-5.39 in nuclear grade III).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that the preoperative serum levels of MMP-2 were associated with the survival in patients with breast cancer in ER-negative, higher histologic grade, or higher nuclear grade breast cancers.

IMPACT

Our results indicate that serum levels of MMP-2 may play a role as prognostic biomarker in breast cancer survival.

High preoperative plasma TIMP-1 is prognostic for early relapse in primary breast carcinoma

TIMP-1 is a natural inhibitor of extracellular matrix degrading enzymes called matrix metalloproteinases. In addition to its capacity to inhibit matrix degradation, TIMP-1 has been shown to promote cell growth and inhibit apoptosis. The expression of TIMP-1 in tumor tissue, as well as in circulating blood, has therefore been shown to associate with worsened survival in several malignancies. In our study, a prospective series of 213 patients with primary breast carcinoma was assessed. Circulating pre- and postoperative TIMP-1 levels were assayed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay analysis. It was shown that high preoperative plasma TIMP-1 was a powerful predictor of systemic early relapse in breast carcinoma, with HR 8.1 (95% CI 1.8-37.6) (p = 0.007) as a log-transformed continuous variable in Cox regression univariate analysis. It was shown to be independent of, and superior to, nodal status as a prognostic variable in multivariate analysis, and not associated with any known prognostic clinicopathological parameters. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the patients belonging to the highest quartile of circulating TIMP-1 levels had a worsened recurrence-free survival of 79% compared to 94% RFS among patients in the lower quartiles (p = 0.016). The postoperative levels of circulating plasma TIMP-1 were not found to be prognostic for relapse. In conclusion, preoperative plasma TIMP-1 was found to be a powerful prognostic factor for early systemic relapse in primary breast carcinoma.

Prognostic significance of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 serum and tissue expression in breast cancer

Tumor progression and metastasis contribute to the great majority of breast cancer deaths. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) are thought to be involved in tumor progression and metastasis. Thus, we determined whether the expression of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 is associated with prognosis in breast cancer patients. We measured serum MMP-9 and TIMP-1 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 60 breast cancer patients, 18 benign breast disease patients and 15 healthy controls. We also evaluated the expression of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 protein and mRNA in paraffin-embedded tumor tissues from the 60 breast cancer patients by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. We then correlated serum and tissue levels of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 in breast cancer samples and their expression with patients' clinicopathologic characteristics. We found that serum levels of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 were significantly higher in breast cancer patients than in benign breast disease and in healthy controls. High serum levels of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 were associated with lymph node metastasis, higher tumor stage and lower relapse-free and overall survival (OS) rates. Compared to low expression, high tissue expression of MMP-9 protein was associated with lymph node metastasis and higher tumor stage; and high tissue expression of TIMP-1 was associated with a lower OS rate. Our findings suggest that MMP-9 and TIMP-1 may further be evaluated as biomarkers for predicting progression and prognosis of breast cancer.

Breast cancer progression: insights into multifaceted matrix metalloproteinases

The restricted view of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) as simple destroyers of extracellular matrix components has largely ignored their substantial contribution in many aspects of cancer development and metastatic dissemination. Over the last few years, the relevance of MMPs in the processing of a large array of extracellular and cell surface-associated proteins has grown considerably. Our knowledge about the complex functions of MMPs and how their contribution may differ throughout cancer progression is rapidly expanding. These new findings provide several explanations for the lack of success of MMP inhibition in clinical trials. A complete understanding of MMP biology is needed before considering them, their substrates or their products as therapeutic targets. In this review, we explore the different faces of MMP implication in breast cancer progression by considering both clinical and fundamental aspects.

Soluble interleukin-2 receptor and metalloproteinase-9 expression in head and neck cancer: prognostic value and analysis of their relationships

In a series of 84 head and neck patients, a statistically significant correlation was observed between high serum soluble interleukin (IL)-2 receptor alpha (sIL-2Ralpha) (P = 0.034) and metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) concentrations (P = 0.036) at diagnosis and a shorter survival of these patients. As MMP-9 has been shown to mediate cleavage of IL-2Ralpha (CD25) by preactivated T cells, we looked for a relationship between MMP-9 expression and soluble IL-2Ralpha serum concentrations in these cancer patients. We did not find any correlation between intratumoral expression of MMP-9 or serum MMP-9 concentrations and serum sIL-2Ralpha levels. These results led us to reassess the role of MMP-9 in the release of sIL-2Ralpha. Treatment of Kit225 leukaemic cells with recombinant MMP-9 slightly decreased membrane CD25 expression and was associated with an increased concentration of sIL-2Ralpha in the supernatants. However, using a selective inhibitor of MMP-9 we did not succeed in specifically inhibiting the release of sIL-2Ralpha by the Kit225 cell line or by phytohaemagglutinin (PHA)-activated peripheral blood mononuclear cells. In addition, in a preclinical mouse model, basal serum sIL-2Ralpha concentrations and sIL-2Ralpha production by activated cells were not altered in MMP-9-deficient mice compared to wild-type mice. Interestingly, a broad spectrum metalloproteinase inhibitor inhibited the release of sIL-2Ralpha by PHA-activated peripheral blood mononuclear cells, suggesting that in contrast with current views concerning the major role of MMP-9 in the cleavage of membrane IL-2Ralpha, other proteases are involved in the shedding of sIL-2Ralpha. MMP-9 and sIL-2Ralpha appear therefore as independent prognostic markers in head and neck cancers.

Low serum level of pro-matrix metalloproteinase 2 correlates with aggressive behavior in breast carcinoma

Malignant tumors that are capable of invading surrounding structures and metastasizing possess certain capacities to cross tissue barriers. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), especially gelatinases and their inhibitor molecules, are known to affect the extracellular matrix turnover, and the proteolytic imbalance due to the abnormal expression of these enzymes eventually leads to cancer progression. This has been well documented at the tissue level. In this study, the different forms of the circulating MMP-2 have been studied in the preoperative sera of 71 patients with breast carcinoma. A quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed for total proMMP-2, proMMP-2-tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 2 (TIMP-2) complex, and free active MMP-2. It is shown here, for the first time, that the total proMMP-2 levels in the serum correlate inversely with node positivity, high stage of the disease, and high nuclear grade of the breast tumor. An association with the levels of lower free active MMP-2 and tumor recurrence is also demonstrated. Interestingly, the tumor tissue expression of MMP-2 had an inverse correlation with proMMP-2-TIMP-2 complex levels in the serum. In conclusion, the levels of the total proMMP-2 correlate inversely with tumor burden, whereas free active MMP-2 might be associated with survival. This could indicate that the prognostic value of the circulating forms of MMP-2 is not congruent with the prognostic information obtained from tissue expression. This is further supported by the inverse correlation of the proMMP-2-TIMP-2 complex and MMP-2 tissue expression in the tumor. Therefore, the different forms of circulating metalloproteinases need to be evaluated further to explore their full potential for clinical use.

MMP-9 and MMP-2 gelatinases and TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 inhibitors in breast cancer: correlations with prognostic factors

The goal of our study was to analyse the prognostic values for some matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases (TIMPs) in breast cancer. We evaluated the activity and the expression levels of MMP-9, MMP-2, TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 in malignant versus benign fresh breast tumor extracts. For this purpose, gelatinzymography, immunoblotting and ELISA were used to analyse the activity and expression of MMPs and TIMPs. We found that MMP-9 expression level and activity are increased in malignant tumors. In addition, MMP-9/TIMP-1 and MMP-2/TIMP-2 ratio values obtained by us were significantly different in malignant tumors compared to benign tumors. We suggest that the abnormal MMP-9/TIMP-1 balance plays a role in the configuration of breast invasive carcinoma of no special type and also in tumor growth, while altered MMP-2/TIMP-2 ratio value could be associated with lymph node invasion and used as a prognostic marker in correlation with Nottingham Prognostic Index. Finally, we showed that in malignant tumors high expression of estrogen receptors is associated with enhanced activity of MMP-2 and increased bcl- 2 levels, while high expression of progesterone receptors is correlated with low TIMP-1 protein levels.

Relationships between the level of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and tumor size of breast cancer

BACKGROUND

The involvements of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) in the pathogenesis of breast cancers have been established. We determined the concentrations of MMP-2 in serum samples and tumor tissues of breast cancer patients.

METHODS

Gelatin zymography and ELISA were used to measure MMP-2 and MMP-9 concentrations in 90 breast cancer patients, including 60 tissue samples and 30 serum samples.

RESULTS

ProMMP-2, activated MMP-2, proMMP-9 and activated MMP-9 levels were significantly higher in tumor tissues than that of corresponding paired adjacent normal tissue of 60 breast cancer patients (p<0.01). Further linear regression analysis has showed that the tumor size positively correlated with MMP-2 level in tumor tissue samples (R=0.55, p<0.0001), as well as with that of in serum samples (R=0.398, p=0.032). In addition, further statistical analysis for clinic pathological parameters revealed that MMP-2 level was significantly increased in patients with metastasis (p<0.05). Furthermore, MMP-2 level was significantly different between tumor grades (p=0.006).

CONCLUSIONS

MMP-2 levels in serum and tumor tissue might reflect the severity of invasion of breast cancer and various MMP inhibitors might be selectively used as potential anti-metastasis agents according to tumor size.

SEL1L affects human pancreatic cancer cell cycle and invasiveness through modulation of PTEN and genes related to cell-matrix interactions

Previously, it was reported that SEL1L is able to decrease the aggressive behavior of human pancreatic tumor cells both in vitro and in vivo. To gain insights into the involvement of SEL1L in tumor invasion, we performed gene expression analysis on the pancreatic cancer cell line Suit-2 subjected to two complementary strategies: upregulation and downregulation of SEL1L expression by stable transfection of the entire cDNA under an inducible promoter and by RNA-mediated interference. SuperArray and real-time analysis revealed that SEL1L modulates the expression of the matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors TIMP1 (P < .04-.03) and TIMP2 (P < .03-.05), and the PTEN gene (P < .03-.05). Gene expression modulations correlate with the decrease in invasive ability (P < .05) and in accumulation of SEL1L-expressing cells in G1. Taken together, our data indicate that SEL1L alters the expression of mediators involved in the remodeling of the extracellular matrix by creating a microenvironment that is unfavorable to invasive growth and by affecting cell cycle progression through promotion of G1 accumulation.

DNA ploidy analysis and expression of MMP-9, TIMP-2, and E-cadherin in gastric carcinoma

AIM: To investigate DNA ploidy and expression of MMP-9, TIMP-2, and E-cadherin in gastric carcinoma and to explore the mechanism of invasion and metastasis of gastric carcinoma.

METHODS: Immunohistochemical methods were used to detect the expressions of MMP-9, TIMP-2, and E-cadherin in 156 cases, including 99 cases of gastric carcinoma, 16 cases of adjacent noncancerous mucosa, 16 cases of distant metastases and 25 cases of metastatic lymph node (LN) from gastric carcinoma. Flow cytometry DNA ploidy and S-phase fraction (SPF) analysis were performed on 57 cases, including 47 cases of gastric cancer, 6 cases of adjacent noncancerous mucosa, and 4 cases of distant metastatic cancer.

RESULTS: The expression of MMP-9 was significantly correlated with Lauren’s classification, Borrmann’s classification, LN metastasis, tumor metastasis, and TNM stage, as well as depth of invasion (all P < 0.05). The positive rate was lower in noncarcinoma than in carcinoma (31.3% vs 66.7%, P < 0.01). The expression of TIMP-2 was significantly correlated with Borrmann’s classification, LN metastasis, and the depth of invasion (all P < 0.05). The expression of E-cadherin was significantly correlated with differentiation, Lauren’s classification, Borrmann’s classification, and LN metastasis, as well as the depth of invasion (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). E-cadherin was less expressed in carcinoma than in noncarcinoma (42.4% vs 87.5%, P < 0.01). There was a positive correlation between MMP-9 and TIMP-2 and a negative correlation between MMP-9 and E-cadherin, but no correlation between TIMP-2 and E-cadherin. Also there was a positive correlation between DNA aneuploid rate and differentiation and LN metastasis. SPF that was higher than 15% was positively correlated with tumor size, differentiation and LN metastasis. And there was a significant difference between carcinoma and noncarcinoma in DNA aneuploid rate and SPF.

CONCLUSION: With tumor progression and development of heterogeneity, the abnormal expressions of MMP-9, TIMP-2, and E-cadherin or DNA aneuploid rate or high SPF gradually increases, suggesting that they play a crucial role in gastric carcinoma progression.