THE EXPRESSION OF MMP-7 MESSENGER-RNA IN PRIMARY AND METASTATIC HUMANCOLORECTAL ADENOCARCINOMA

MMP-7 mRNA expression was examined by RT-PCR and Southern blot hybridi sation following cDNA synthesis of extracted tissue RNA in a total of 33 colorectal cancer patients. Expression was studied in tumour tissue s and compared to adjacent non-neoplastic tissues. MMP-7 mRNA was dete cted in all tumour samples, with no qualitative difference between pri mary and metastatic tumours and there was no relation to Dukes' clinic al stage. Adjacent nonneoplastic colon and rectum (65%) and liver (100 %) also expressed MMP-7, although the signal intensity was weaker. In contrast, only 31% of adjacent non-neoplastic lymph nodes expressed MM P-7. The results suggest that MMP-7 is probably expressed early in the neoplastic transformation in patients with colorectal adenocarcinoma.