Expression of metalloproteinases and their inhibitors in primary pulmonary carcinomas

Our plain-English summary of Expression of metalloproteinases and their inhibitors in primary pulmonary carcinomas, by S.J. Urbanski, D.R. Edwards, A. Maitland, et al (British Journal of Cancer, 1992).

The study

• Authors: S.J. Urbanski, D.R. Edwards, A. Maitland, K.J. Leco, A. Watson, A.E. Kossakowska
• Journal: British Journal of Cancer
• Published: 1992;66(6):1188-94
• Cited by: 135 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

Abstract

Nine primary pulmonary carcinomas, one metastatic carcinoma, and two malignant pleural mesotheliomas have been analysed for the expression at the mRNA level of metalloproteinases (MPs) and tissue inhibitors of MPs (TIMPs). In situ hybridisation showed TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 transcripts predominantly over tumour stroma and gelatinases evenly distributed over both stromal and tumour cells. While both TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 were expressed in non-neoplastic lungs (NNL) as well as in carcinomas, stromelysin 3 (ST3), 92 kDa gelatinase and interstitial collagenase were expressed only by carcinomas. Expression of these MPs by carcinomas was independent of histologic type and such tumour features as fibrosis or necrosis. The consistent expression of ST3 by all of the carcinomas examined and absence of its expression in NNL indicates that ST3 production is likely associated with the malignant phenotype. However, since 92 kDa gelatinase and interstitial collagenase transcripts were found in some but not all tumour samples, their expression is not a uniform feature of pulmonary carcinomas. The possible prognostic significance of the expression of the latter two enzymes by carcinomas remains to be established.

In plain English

This laboratory study, from the University of Calgary and Foothills Hospital in Canada, examined tissue removed at surgery from 12 patients (five women and seven men). The tissue included nine primary lung carcinomas, one colon cancer that had spread to the lung, two malignant pleural mesotheliomas, and nearby non-cancerous lung. The authors measured messenger RNA for several enzymes that break down the tissue framework, and for two inhibitors of those enzymes. Three enzymes, stromelysin 3, 92 kDa gelatinase and interstitial collagenase, were found only in tumour samples and not in non-cancerous lung. Stromelysin 3 was also found in both mesotheliomas. The 92 kDa gelatinase was found in five primary and one metastatic carcinoma. Interstitial collagenase was found in three of nine carcinomas, although the discussion gives eight as the denominator. Both mesotheliomas lacked the 72 kDa and 92 kDa gelatinases and PUMP-1. The inhibitors were found in both tumour and normal tissue. The article does not mention asbestos. The authors concluded that stromelysin 3 is consistently expressed in carcinomas but not in non-neoplastic lung.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: Laboratory study of surgically resected tissue samples, using Northern blot analysis and in situ hybridisation to measure messenger RNA for metalloproteinases and their inhibitors
• Who was studied: Tissue from 12 patients (five women, seven men) at the University of Calgary and Foothills Hospital, Calgary, Canada. Ten lungs were resected for carcinoma (nine primary carcinomas, one metastatic colonic carcinoma) and two were cases of malignant pleural mesothelioma. Non-neoplastic lung was taken away from the tumours as controls. Dates of collection are not given.
• Exposure: The article does not report asbestos or any other exposure. What it measured was expression of the 72 kDa and 92 kDa gelatinases, interstitial collagenase, stromelysin 3, PUMP-1, TIMP-1 and TIMP-2.
• Main results:
  • Stromelysin 3, 92 kDa gelatinase and interstitial collagenase transcripts were found only in tumour samples, not in non-neoplastic lung
  • Stromelysin 3 RNA was also expressed by the metastatic colonic adenocarcinoma and by the mesotheliomas
  • 92 kDa gelatinase transcripts were present in five primary carcinomas and one metastatic carcinoma; no signal was seen in the remaining four tumours
  • Interstitial collagenase transcripts were detected in three out of nine carcinomas analysed (the discussion says three out of eight)
  • Both malignant pleural mesotheliomas showed no expression of the 72 kDa and 92 kDa gelatinases or PUMP-1
  • TIMP-1, TIMP-2, 72 kDa gelatinase and PUMP-1 RNAs were present in both malignant samples and non-neoplastic lung
  • In situ hybridisation showed TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 signals mainly over stromal elements, while gelatinase signals were evenly spread over tumour and stromal cells
  • Expression of none of the genes analysed could be correlated with tumour type or with the part of the tumour sampled (medial vs pleural)
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that stromelysin 3 is consistently expressed in carcinomas but not in non-neoplastic lung tissue. They also concluded that 92 kDa gelatinase and interstitial collagenase are absent from non-neoplastic lung and present in some but not all carcinomas.
• Limitations the authors state:
  • The authors state that more cases need to be analysed and followed over time before any prognostic significance of 92 kDa gelatinase and interstitial collagenase expression can be established

Topics

The National Library of Medicine indexes this study under subjects our site covers: Lung cancer.

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Carcinoma, Pleural Mesothelioma, Interstitial, Fibrosis, Necrosis.

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