Prognostic Significance of Extracellular Matrix Degrading Enzymes-Cathepsin L and Matrix Metalloproteases-2 [MMP-2] in Human Pancreatic Cancer

In the present study, we assessed the expression of extracellular matrix (ECM) degrading proteases-cathepsin L and and matrix metalloprotease-2 (MMP-2) in pancreatic cancer tissue and correlated their levels with clinicopathological parameters and survival. Both the proteases were expressed in the majority of the tumor tissues examined. Staining intensity of cathepsin L was significantly higher in the tumor stroma compared to tumor epithelium while MMP-2 staining showed no such difference. Both proteases showed correlation with some of the clinicopathological parameters but only cathepsin L expression in tumor epithelium predicted a poor prognosis for the disease.