Relationship between morphological features and kinetic patterns of enhancement of the dynamic breast magnetic resonance imaging and tumor expression of metalloproteases and their inhibitors in invasive breast cancer

Abstract Aim Matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) expression and their inhibitors (TIMPs) play an important role in tumor physiopathology, so we investigated the relationship between the magnetic resonance (MR) and MMPs/TIMPs expression by breast carcinomas. Materials and methods MRI parameters of 64 breast carcinomas were investigated. An immunohistochemical study was also performed in these cases using tissue microarrays and specific antibodies against MMP-1, 2, 7, 9, 11, 13, 14, TIMP-1, 2 and 3. Results Tumors with spiculated margins had a high global (score) values of MMP-1 or MMP-7, and high expression of TIMP-3 by tumor cells. Heterogeneous tumors had a higher score values of MMP-1, MMP-13, TIMP-2 or TIMP-3, and frequent expression of TIMP-3 by tumor cells. Tumors showing fast enhancement, had higher score values of MMP-1 or MMP-11. Associations between washout curve (type III) and MMP-1, MMP-11, MMP-13 and TIMP-1 expression by tumor cells, were found. Conclusions MRI features may predict in some grade the expressions of MMPs/TIMPs in breast tumors, which might to contribute to a better biological characterization of breast cancer.