BACKGROUND: A distinction between noninvasive, invasive, and metastatic @entity704 on the basis of the cytologic features is difficult. The current study investigated whether the expression of MMP and @entity2843 was correlated with @entity5 invasiveness and prognosis in @entity1 with @entity704 . METHODS: Tumor tissue samples were obtained from 42 @entity1 with @entity9075 between 1974 and 2001 at Tokushima University Hospital. Three-micrometer-thick, @entity406 -fixed, @entity982 -embedded tissue sections were immunostained using specific antibodies against @entity1476 , @entity1495 , @entity2843 , and @entity1552 . RESULTS: @entity1476 expression was detected in 30 @entity5 (71%), and @entity1552 expression was detected in 31 @entity5 (74%). @entity1495 expression was detected in 22 of 36 @entity5 (61%), and @entity2843 expression was detected in only 7 @entity5 (19%). @entity1476 and @entity1552 expression levels were very low (10% and 0%, respectively) in noninvasive @entity5 but were very high (91% and 97%, respectively) in invasive @entity5 . In @entity9075 , the more progressive the clinical stage of @entity5 , the higher the strongly positive rate of @entity1476 and @entity1552 expression. There was no correlation between positivity for @entity1495 and stage. Twenty-five percent of Type @entity704 and 50% of Type B1 thymomas expressed @entity1476 and @entity1552 . Most of Type A, Type B2, Type B3, and Type C thymomas expressed @entity1476 and @entity1552 . There were significant differences in disease-free survival at 5 years between @entity1 without and with @entity1476 expression (91% vs. 55%, respectively) and @entity1 without and with @entity1552 expression (100% vs. 53%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: @entity1476 and @entity1552 are key enzymes for @entity9075 . The expression of these proteins can predict a poor outcome in @entity1 with @entity704 .

Increased expression of XXXX is correlated with poor prognostic variables in @entity1 with @entity9075 .

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients'] @entity1552 :: ('7077', 'Gene') :: ['TIMP-2'] @entity704 :: ('MESH:D013945', 'Disease') :: ['thymoma', 'AB thymomas'] @entity1476 :: ('4313', 'Gene') :: ['MMP-2'] @entity5 :: ('MESH:D009369', 'Disease') :: ['tumor', 'tumors'] @entity406 :: ('MESH:D005557', 'Chemical') :: ['formalin'] @entity2843 :: ('7076', 'Gene') :: ['TIMP', 'TIMP-1'] @entity982 :: ('MESH:D010232', 'Chemical') :: ['paraffin'] @entity1495 :: ('4318', 'Gene') :: ['MMP-9'] @entity9075 :: ('MESH:C536905', 'Disease') :: ['thymic epithelial tumors', 'invasiveness of thymic epithelial tumors']
@entity1476 :: (4313,Gene) :: ['matrix metalloproteinase-2 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2']
