INCREASED EXPRESSION OF MATRIX METALLOPROTEINASE-3 (STROMELYSIN-1) INCULTURED FIBROBLASTS AND BASAL-CELL CARCINOMAS OF NEVOID BASAL-CELL CARCINOMA SYNDROME

Nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome (NBCCS), an autosomal dominant di sorder, is characterized by the development of numerous cutaneous basa l cell carcinomas (BCCs). To better characterize this disorder, we exa mined the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3; also known as stromelysin-1) in BCC tumor specimens, adjacent normal skin, and fi broblasts isolated from the normal-appearing skin of NBCCS patients. T hree of three BCC tumors obtained from NBCCS patients overexpressed MM P-3 mRNA. In contrast, only 25% of BCC specimens in patients without N BCCS demonstrated overexpression of MM P-3 mRNA. Moreover, fibroblasts isolated and cultured from all nine uninvolved skin specimens of NBCC S patients overexpressed MMP-3 mRNA. MMP-3 mRNA was not detected or wa s detected at very low levels in normal skin and fibroblast cultures i solated from normal skin in nonsyndrome patients. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.