Increasing expression of extracellular matrix metalloprotease inducer in renal cell carcinoma: Tissue microarray analysis of immunostaining score with clinicopathological parameters

Aim: Renal tumor cell invasion is responsible for both local tissue destruction and distant metastasis. Invasion is largely mediated by matrix metalloproteases that are thought to be induced by tumor cell-derived extracellular matrix metalloprotease inducer (EMMPRIN) in surrounding fibroblasts. We hypothesized that EMMPRIN and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) are over-expressed in renal cell carcinoma. Methods: Immunohistochemical analysis of EMMPRIN and MMP-9 was performed in tissue microarrays of 79 renal cell carcinomas including 12 cases of chromophobe renal cell carcinoma (ChRCC), 53 cases of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (CRCC), 8 cases of papillary renal cell carcinoma (PRCC), and 6 cases of carcinoma of the collecting ducts of Bellini (CoRCC). Results: All renal cell carcinomas showed significant immunohistochemical expression of EMMPRIN. The EMMPRIN score in ChRCC (321 ± 21) was significantly higher than in other histological subtypes of RCC (166 ± 19 for CRCC; 276 ± 24 for PRCC; 98 ± 17 for CoRCC). MMP-9 was mainly expressed in tumor stromal cells and not in non-cancerous fibrovascular regions. The percent positive staining of MMP-9 at the invasive front of tumor cells was significantly higher in CRCC than in ChRCC, PRCC, or CoRCC. Higher EMMPRIN scores in CRCC were associated with shorter survival time, and correlated with higher T staging and nuclear grading. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate for the first time that EMMPRIN is over-expressed in renal cell carcinomas. Increased expression of EMMPRIN in tumor cells is associated with poor prognosis of patients with CRCC.