Prognostic significance of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) in epithelial ovarian cancer.

Objective: We investigated the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and its relation to clinicopathologic factors and survival and also to previously analyzed expressions of CD44 and hyaluronan in epithelial ovarian cancer.

Methods: The expression of MMP-9 was analyzed immunohistochemically in 292 primary tumors and their 31 metastases.

Results: A low proportion of strong MMP-9 expression in cancer cells and high stromal MMP-9 expression correlated with advanced stage of the tumor (p=0.

Prognostic significance of matrix metalloproteinase-7 in epithelial ovarian cancer and its relation to beta-catenin expression.

We investigated the expression and prognostic significance of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) -7, its relation to beta-catenin expression and clinicopathological factors in epithelial ovarian cancer. The expression of MMP-7 was analyzed immunohistochemically in a series of 284 primary epithelial ovarian cancers, their 36 metastases and 8 normal ovaries. In cancers with endometrioid histology, a high percentage area of MMP-7 expression and an intense MMP-7 signal was significantly associated with nuclear positivity of beta-catenin in cancer cells (p = 0.

CD44 expression and its relationship with MMP-9, clinicopathological factors and survival in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

We investigated the expression of CD44 and MMP-9 in primary oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and evaluated their association with each other and clinicopathological factors as well as their prognostic value during long term follow up. Histological samples from 138 OSCC patients were immunohistochemically stained for the expression of CD44 and MMP-9. The staining results were compared with conventional prognostic factors and their impacts to patients' prognosis were also studied with survival analyses.

High stromal versican expression predicts unfavourable outcome in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: Versican, an extracellular matrix proteoglycan, has been noted to be expressed in several malignant tumours and has been suggested to play an important role in cancer development and tumour growth.

Aims: To investigate whether the versican expression level in the peritumoural stromal tissue of primary oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) predicts relapse-free or disease-specific survival. Also, to study the associations between versican expression and several other clinicopathological variables, as well as tumour cell proliferation.

A highly reproducible xenograft model for human ovarian carcinoma and application of MRI and ultrasound in longitudinal follow-up.

Objective: Typically, human ovarian cancer is widely disseminated at the time of diagnosis and shows extremely poor prognosis. Experimental animal models that mimic human ovarian cancer are often incomplete when compared to the full spectrum of the human disease with regard to its histological hallmarks such as the spread of carcinoma, its ability to seed the peritoneal cavity and formation of ascites. We have established and characterized a new animal model for human ovarian cancer in nude mouse.