The role of matrix metalloproteinase -2 in bladder cancer

Transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder is the most common malignancy of the urinary tract.This study was designed to assess the expression of matrix metalloproteinase -2 in transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder using in situ hybridization technique.Formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded blocks tissue for thirty urinary bladder carcinoma patients were obtained from the archives of the Pathology laboratories of Al-Yarmouk and Baghdad Teaching Hospital from January 2011 to July 2012.In addition twenty apparently normal bladder autopsies were collected from the Forensic Medicine Institute archivesas control group.The blocks were subjected to cut as serial thin sections of (4μm) thickness and were sticked on positive charge slides to be used for In situ hybridization for the detection of MMP-2. Over expression of matrix metalloproteinase -2 was detected in 70.1923% (26 out of 30) of transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder samples ( 50% of the cells appearing as positive). The remaining 4 samples (42.775%) showed a weak- moderately expression ( 50% of the cells appearing as positive). In conclusion matrix metalloproteinase -2 play an important role in transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder.