CD147 and matrix metalloproteinase-2 protein expression as significant prognostic factors in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND. The authors investigated whether the presence of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and its inducer, CD147, in cancerous esophageal lesions and surrounding tissue might help to predict patient prognosis. METHODS. Tissue samples from 101 patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma were stained with anti-CD147 and anti-MMP-2 antibodies for immunohistochemical analysis. RESULTS. CD147 was expressed in cancerous and dysplastic lesions, but not in normal tissue. In contrast, MMP-2 was detected mainly in normal interstitial tissue adjacent to cancerous lesions, but it was detected also in cancerous lesions in some patients. Pathologic findings demonstrated that the intensity of MMP-2 staining in normal tissue was associated positively with the depth of tumor infiltration and the stage of disease, whereas MMP-2 staining in cancerous tissue was associated positively with vascular and lymphatic vessel invasion as well as with immature differentiation of cancer cells. Using a proportional hazard model, including information on CD147 staining patterns within cancerous lesions along with clinical cancer staging, improved the accuracy of predicting patient prognosis. CONCLUSIONS. These results suggested that measurement of CD147 and MMP-2 expression with simple immunohistochemical staining may enhance further the understanding of the pathophysiology of invading tumor cells and, when used in combination with cancer staging, may increase the ability of investigators to predict prognosis in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. (C) 2004 American Cancer Society.