Differential immunohistochemical expression of matrix metalloproteinase-10 (MMP-10) in non-melanoma skin cancers of the head and neck.

Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) and Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) are two common skin malignancies with different potentials for invasion and metastasis. The mechanism responsible for various growth patterns observed in SCC and BCC is still not fully understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-10 in non-melanoma skin cancers, including BCC and SCC of the head and neck. The study group consisted of 60 specimens, including 30 BCC and 30 cutaneous SCC of the head and neck. Sections of tumor biopsy samples were immunohistochemically examined for the expression of MMP-10. Data were analyzed by SPSS (V.21) using Mann-Whitney and Kruskal Wallis tests. We found higher immunohistochemical expression of MMP-10 in tumor epithelium and stroma of SCC as compared with BCC. However, this difference was significant only in tumor epithelium (P=0.000). Moreover, the level of MMP-10 expression in tumor epithelium of grades III and II of SCC was significantly greater compared to grade I tumors (P<0.05).Our results suggest that the level of the MMP-10 expression in tumor epithelium of cutaneous SCC and BCC may contribute to the different invasive patterns observed in these tumors. Also, the expression of MMP-10 is associated with tumor differentiation in cutaneous HNSCC.