| Abstract: | Objective: To investigate the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7) and its tissue inhibitor (TIMP-2) in endometrial carcinoma and analyze their significance in endometrial cancer′s invasion and metastasis. Methods: Endometrial tissues were collected from 64 patients with endometrial carcinoma, 20 patients with endometrial hyperplasia and 20 normal women. The expressions of MMP-7, TIMP-2 in endometrium were measured by immuohistochemistry. Results: Expressions of MMP-7, TIMP-2 in endometrium of patients with endometrial carcinoma were significantly higher than those in normal endometrium (P<0.05). MMP-7 expression increased with surgical-pathological staging, depth of myometrial invasion, histologic grades and lymph node metastasis (P<0.05), while TIMP-2 expression was related to lymph node metastasis (P<0.05). TIMP-2 expression in endometrial cancer was significantly higher than that in hyperplastic endometrium (P<0.05). Expressions of TIMP-2 and MMP-7 in endometrium of patients with endometrial carcinoma were positively correlated (r=0.654, P<0.001). Conclusion: Highly expressed MMP-7 and TIMP-2 in endometrium may be related to development, invasion and metastasis of endometrial cancers. |
