Abstract: [Abstract] Objective: To investigate the expression of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) and TIMP-2 in uterine cervical squamous cell carcinoma and the relationship between these levels and the clinicopathologic characteristics of cervical cercinoma. Methods: The expression of TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 were detected by immunohistochemical MaxvisionTM methods in 46 cases of cervical squamous cancer, 34 cases of carcinoma in situ of uterine cervix (CINⅢ), and 20 cases of normal cervical epithelium (NCE). The correlation between the expression TIMP-1, TIMP-2 and clinical stages, pathological grades, lymph node metastases in cervical squamous cancer were analyzed. Results: The expression rate of TIMP-1 in uterine cervical squamous cell carcinoma, carcinoma in situ of uterine cervix and normal cervical epithelium were 54.3%(25/46), 73.5%(25/34), 20%(4/20), respectively, and that of TIMP-2 were 60.9%(28/46), 50.0%(17/34), 20%(4/20). The positive rate of TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 in the cervical carcinomas group and CINⅢ group were obviously higher than that in NCE group(P<0.01). The protein expression of TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 did not correlate with tumor stage or histological grade(P>0.05). The positive rate of TIMP-2 in lymph node metastasis was higher than that in without lymph node metastasis(P<0.01), but there was no significant difference for TIMP-1(P>0.05). Conclusion: TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 may play a key role in invasion and lymph-node metastasis of in uterine cervical squamous cell carcinoma.

Key words: Cervical cancer, Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1(TIMP-1), Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2(TIMP-2), Immunohistochemistry