EXPRESSION OF MATRIX METALLOPROTEINASE-7 AND FAS LIGAND：THEIR APOPTOSIS-INDUCING EFFECT ON GASTRIC CANCER CELLS

Objective: To investigate the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7) and Fas ligand (FasL) in gastric cancer and explore their role in progression of gastric cancer. Methods: Formalin-fixed paraffin and embedded tissues of primary gastric cancer and adjacent non-tumor mucosa from 113 cases were evaluated for MMP-7, FasL and Capase-3 expression by streptavidin-peroxidase (S-P) immunohistochemistry. The expression of the first two proteins in cancer cells of primary loci was compared with clinicopathological parameters of tumors. We also observed the correlation of MMP-7 and FasL expression with Caspase-3 expression in cancer cells of primary foci.Results: MMP-7 positive immunostaining was less frequently detected in adjacent epithelial cells than in cancer cells of primary loci of gastric cancer (P