Matrix metalloproteinase 3 is a stromal marker for chicken ovarian cancer.

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are involved in the degradation of the extracellular matrix and basement membranes. Due to this, MMPs have been thought to promote invasion and metastasis of cancer cells and angiogenesis in tumors. Even though the chicken is a useful animal model for studying human ovarian cancer, no reports exist of the MMP expression pattern in chicken ovarian cancer. Therefore, we investigated the expression pattern of MMPs in chicken ovarian cancer. Results of RT-PCR and quantitative RT-PCR analyses showed MMP3 to be over-expressed in cancerous hen ovaries. In situ hybridization analysis of cancerous chicken ovaries showed that MMP3 mRNA was predominantly localized in the stroma, which is similar to MMP3 expression in human cancers. The results suggest that the expression pattern of MMP3 mRNA in chicken ovarian cancer is similar to that in various types of human cancer. Moreover, MMP3 potentially plays a significant role in developing ovarian cancer in chickens. The cell type-specific expression of MMP3 makes this gene a unique marker for ovarian cancer in chickens.