Cutaneous carcinomas and preinvasive neoplastic lesions. Role of MMP-2 andMMP-9 metalloproteinases in neoplastic invasion and their relationship with proliferative activity and p53 expression

Background: Metalloproteinases (MMPs) are thought to be involved in the pro cess of destruction of basement membranes and stromal invasion by neoplasti c epithelial cells. Aims: In order to investigate the role of MMPs in cutaneous oncogenesis we studied the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in 31 cases of epidermal preinvas ive neoplastic lesions and invasive carcinomas. We also studied their relat ionship with the expression of tissue inhibitors of MMPs and with prolifera tive activity and p53 expression in neoplastic epithelial cells. Results: MMP-9 was found to be focally expressed by neoplastic epithelial c ells at the infiltrative edges in microinvasive carcinomas and in dyskerato tic foci in Bowen's disease and widely invasive carcinomas. Gradation of Mi b-1 positivity and p53 expression was found with increasing abnormality in the spectrum of malignancy. Conclusions: Out results seem to suggest the involvement of MMPs in microin vasive carcinomas, which show also low proliferative activity and p53 expre ssion, whether other factors seem to be more important in widely invasive c arcinomas.