Matrix metalloproteinase-13 refines pathological staging of precancerous colorectal lesions.

An exact classification of precancerous stages of colorectal polyps might improve therapy and patients´ outcome. Here we investigate the association between grade of dysplasia and Matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13) expression in 137 biopsies from patients with cancerous and non-cancerous colorectal adenomas. A reproducible staining procedure for histologic MMP-13 analysis in routinely fixed colorectal biopsy specimens has been established. A newly adopted immunoreactive scoring system for MMP-13 was demonstrated as reliable readout.The strength of the association between pathologic stage and immunoreactive MMP-13 scoring emphasizes its eligibility for diagnosis in precancerous colorectal lesions.