SERUM LEVELS OF A TISSUE INHIBITOR OF METALLOPROTEINASES‐1 (TIMP‐1) IN BLADDER CANCER PATIENTS

Abstract

Tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMP‐1 and ‐2) are common inhibitors of matrix metallo‐proteinases (MMPs), thereby blocking degradation of extracellular matrix components. TIMP‐1 and ‐2 have been reported to exhibit inhibitory activities against tumor invasion and metastasis. We measured the serum TIMP‐1 levels in 16 healthy volunteers and in 69 patients with bladder cancer using a sandwich enzyme immunoassay, and evaluated the correlation between serum TIMP‐1 levels and clinicopathological features. Patients with bladder cancer showed significantly higher serum TIMP‐1 levels (251.1 96.0 ng/ml; p<0.01) than those of healthy volunteers (168.5 33.2ng/ml), and a positive correlation between the TIMP‐1 level and invasion and metastasis was observed. This is considered to be the result of the reactive production of TIMP‐1 in cancerous tissues. Thus, serum TIMP‐1 levels may become a reliable clinical marker of the progression of bladder cancer. Copyright © 1994, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved