Matrix metalloproteinases have been implicated in tumor progression. Matrilysin
is one of the matrix metalloproteinases and is frequently overexpressed
in gastrointestinal cancers. The aim of this study was to assess the validity
of matrilysin as a prognostic marker of colorectal cancers. Matrilysin
expression was immunohistochemically analyzed using formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded
specimens from 113 colorectal cancer patients who had undergone curative
surgery. The lumenal surface of neoplastic glands in the superficial layer
was apically stained, while the cytoplasm of cancer cells at the invasive
front was diffusely stained for matrilysin. Sections with immunostaining
signals in more than 30% of carcinoma cells at the invasive front, which
were observed in 47(42%) cases, were judged as being positive for matrilysin.
Matrilysin positivity was significantly correlated with the depth of invasion,
lymph node metastasis, lymphatic invasion, advanced Dukes' stage, and poor
outcome. Patients with matrilysin-positive cancer had a significantly shorter
overall survival time than those with matrilysin-negative cancer. For patients
with intermediate invasive tumor(T2 or T3), only matrilysin was a significant
prognostic variable for predicting overall survival in multivariate analysis.
Matrilysin expression at the invasive front could be an important marker,
predicting an unfavorable prognosis after surgical treatment in patients
with colorectal cancer.
[Rinsho Byori 51 : 158〜167, 2003]
*1First department of Internal Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, Sapporo 060-8543
【Key Words】matrilysin(マトリライシン)，gastrointestinal cancer(消化器癌)，invasion(浸潤)，metastasis(転移)，prognosis(予後)，molecular
targeting therapy(分子標的治療)
*1,2札幌医科大学医学部内科学第一講座(〒060-8543 札幌市中央区南一条西16丁目)
E-mail :fitoh@sapmed.ac.jp