Comparative study of matrix metalloproteinase expression between AIDS-related and non–AIDS-related Kaposi’s sarcoma

Comparative study of matrix metalloproteinase expression between AIDS-related and non–AIDS-related Kaposi’s sarcoma

Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) is an angioproliferative tumor caused by human herpesvirus 8 (HHV8) which became widely known as the most frequently observed Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)- associated malignancy. The pathogenesis of the disease is complex and incompletely understood. To date, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are associated with Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) tumorigenesis and may contribute to the mechanism of KS invasive growth. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of multiple MMPs in patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related and classic cutaneous KS lesions. We performed a retrospective study on eighty-two (82) patients, of whom sixty-seven (67) patients with classic Kaposi’s sarcoma and fifteen (15) patients AIDS-related Kaposi’s sarcoma. Patients included in the study were aged between thirty-six (36) and ninety (90) years and diagnosed during 2010-2014. Immunohistochemistry for HHV8 and monoclonal antibodies specific for MMP1, MMP3, MMP9, MMP11, MMP13 was performed on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections. The results of our statistical analyses reveals that lesional cells of Kaposi sarcoma in HIV-positive and HIV-negative patients were immunoreactive for all MMPs. Ulceration, present in the nineteen (19) of the nodular KS lesions, did not alter MMP staining. There were no appreciable differences in immunoreactivity between classic KS and AIDS-KS lesions. So far, only a few MMPs have been studied in KS lesions and exactly which MMPs are involved in KS development and progression remains unanswere. The present study could provides further evidence for the in vivo expression of five MMP in classic and AIDS-KS cutaneous lesions. Thus, our observations may contribute to the mechanism of KS invasive growth, and may provide new therapeutic approaches using specific MMP targets.