Objective: To explore the expression of RECK and relevant matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in hepatoblastoma (HB) and neuroblastoma (NB) and their clinical significance in the tumor metastasis.
Materials and methods: Forty-five wax-stone samples of HB and 43 wax-stone samples of NB removed by surgical resection and confirmed by pathology in Linyi Yishui Central Hospital were selected. According to presence and absence of metastasis, both NB and HB samples were divided into metastatic group and non-metastatic group, namely NB metastatic group (n=28), NB non-metastatic group (n=15), HB metastatic group (n=15) and HB non-metastatic group (n=30). The expression of RECK, membrane type-1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) in HB tissue and RECK, MMP-14 in NB tissue was detected using immunohistochemical method, and the correlation between RECK and MT1-MMP, MMP-14 was analyzed.
Results: The metastatic rate of NB was dramatically higher than that of HB, with statistical significance (P=0.003). The positive rate of RECK expression in NB group (30.2%) was slightly lower than in HB group (40.0%), but no significant difference was presented (P=0.338). The positive rate of MMPs expression in NB metastatic group was evidently higher than in HB metastatic group (P=0.024). The results of Spearman correlation analysis revealed that the expression of RECK in HB and NB tissues had a significantly-negative correlation with MT1-MMP and MMP-14, respectively (r=-0.499, P=0.012; r=-0.636, P=0.000).
Conclusions: In HB and NB tissues, RECK is expressed lowly, while relevant MMPs highly, and RECK inhibits the tumor invasion and metastasis through negative regulation of relevant MMPs.