Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 as a multifunctional molecule of which the expression is associated with adverse prognosis of patients with urothelial bladder carcinomas.

Abstract

TIMP-2 protein expression in either the stromal or cancerous cells is associated with the proliferation index Ki-67 and the apoptosis-related protein p53. These findings are in keeping with in vitro studies reporting a growth-promoting ability of TIMP-2 and its involvement in apoptosis regulation. On the other hand, TIMP-2 stromal cell expression only was associated with adverse prognosis of urothelial bladder cancer patients.