Matrix metalloproteinases activity and stromal-epithelial interactions

✍ Scribed by Piotr Laudanski; Jacek Szamatowicz

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2005
• Tongue: French
• Weight: 36 KB
• Volume: 116
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0020-7136
• DOI: 10.1002/ijc.21059

✦ Synopsis

We read with interest the paper by San Francisco et al., 1 concerning TGF-b and different growth characteristics of prostate fibroblasts; however, we would like to comment on some of the methods used in that study.

When using an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), the authors found that no difference exists in matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) expression between normal human prostatic fibroblasts (NHPF) and carcinoma-associated fibroblasts (CAF). They explain that since only stromal (CAF and NHPF) compartments were utilized, there must be a direct interaction between stromal and epithelial cells, as well as the anchoring of the MMP-9 to the epithelial cell membrane, which is required for MMP-9 activation to occur. The ELISA assay used in the study to determine MMP-9 was to detect the total (pro-and active) form of the enzyme.

In 1 of our recent studies, we used 2 different types of ELISA assays specific for determination of the active and total form of MMP-9. We found no differences between active MMP-9 levels in peritoneal fluid of women with endometriosis