Expression of MMP1, 2, 9, and 11 in breast cancer and metastatic lymph node tissue

Invasiv growth requires degradation of extracellular matrix. A number of Zn 2+ -dependent matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are associated with this process. In most cases these enzymes are not produced by the malignant epithelium itself but by adjacent breast stroma, suggesting an important role for cell-cell interactions. Materials and methods: We determined the expression patterns of MMP1, MMP2, MMP9 and MMP11 by immunohistochemistry in tissue arrays, containing 50 paraffin-embedded sets of tissues obtained from the malignant tumor of the breast, and 50 paraffin-embedded sets of tissues from metastatic lymph n…