OBJECTIVETo examine the expression of membrane-type-1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) and reversion-inducing cysteine-rich protein with Kazal motifs (RECK) in gastric carcinoma, and investigate its clinical significance, at the same time analyze the correlation between MT1-MMP and RECK expression.

METHODSMT1-MMP and RECK expression in surgically resected tissue samples of gastric carcinoma was examined by immunohistochemical method (two-step method) , and its correlation with clinicopathological factors was analyzed.

RESULTSAmong the 44 gastric carcinoma samples, 37 (84.1%) were stained positive for MT1-MMP, and 31 (70.5%) for RECK. The expression of MT1-MMP was much higher in poorly differentiated gastric carcinoma samples than moderately and well-differentiated samples (P = 0.015). The expression level of MT1-MMP was associated with invasive depth of tumor cells (P = 0.007), but no difference between sex and lymph node metastasis. On the contrary, the well-differentiated samples showed higher expression of RECK than poorly and moderately differentiated gastric carcinoma samples (P = 0.006). The expression level of RECK did not correlate with sex, lymph node metastasis and invasive depth of tumor cells. RECK expression showed no relation to MT1-MMP expression in the gastric carcinoma.

CONCLUSIONOverexpression of MT1-MMP in gastric carcinoma may play an important role during tumor differentiation and metastasis, the RECK protein may have positive effects on the tumor differentiation.