Relationship between metalloprotease expression in tumour and stromal cells and aggressive behaviour in prostate carcinoma: Simultaneous high-throughput study of multiple metalloproteases and their inhibitors using tissue array analysis of radical prostatectomy samples

Objective. The aim of this study was to detect a potential association between clinicopathological factors of prostate cancer aggressiveness and the expression of matrix metalloproteases and their inhibitors in tumour and stromal cells. Material and methods. A tissue array technique and immunochemistry with specific antibodies against matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs)-1, 2, 7, 9, 11, 13, 14, and their tissue inhibitors (TIMPs)-1, 2 and 3 were used to analyse the surgical specimens of 133 patients treated by radical prostatectomy. For each antibody preparation, the cellular location of immunoreactivity was determined. Results. The expression of MMP-2 was negatively associated with high tumour grade. With regard to stromal fibroblasts, TIMP-3 expression was positively associated with histological grade. MMP-7 expression was negatively associated with pretreatment serum levels of PSA, whereas MMP-13 was positively associated with higher levels of the antigen. TIMP-2 expression by mononuclear inflammatory cells correlated significantly and negatively with tumour grade. Conclusions. The expression of TIMP-3 by fibroblasts was associated with a higher Gleason score. An increased expression of MMP-13 by fibroblasts was associated with a greater preoperative level of PSA. In contrast, MMP-2 expression by tumour as well as TIMP-2 expression by peritumoral inflammatory cells was associated with less aggressive prostate carcinoma characteristics.