RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MATRIX METALLOPROTEINASE EXPRESSION AND TUMOR ANGIOGENESIS IN HUMAN BREAST-CARCINOMA

Intratumoral proteases are known to be involved in not only tumor cell invasion but also a variety of stromal reactions including neovascula rization. In this study, we have examined the expression of matrix met alloproteinases (MMPs) by gelatin gel zymography and compared its expr ession with angiogenesis activities including the expression of severa l endothelial growth regulators and intratumoral microvessel density ( MVD) in human breast cancer tissues. There was a significant correlati on between activated MMP-2 expression and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression (p=0.045). In addition, the expression of act ivated MMP-9 expression was significantly correlated with thymidine ph osphorylase (TP) expression (p=0.0044). Pro MMP-9 expression tended to correlated with the increment of MVD (p=0.063). MMP-2 and MMP-9 expre ssions were frequently co-upregulated with endothelial growth regulato rs in human breast cancer tissues, which underlines the cooperative fu nction of MMPs in neovascularization.