TY - JOUR AB - To better understand the role of membrane-associated proteolytic systems in the development of esophageal cancer, we studied the expression of two serine proteases, fibroblast activation protein-α (FAP-α) and dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPPIV) and three metalloproteinases, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, MMP-9 and MT1-MMP in 24 primary esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) tissues and paired non-cancer tissues. Using reverse-transcription PCR, western blotting and zymography, we showed that both serine proteases and all three metalloproteinases were highly altered in ESCC. A positive correlation between the expression of FAP-α and DPPIV and the activity of both gelatinases was found. This may indicate that these proteolytic systems are tightly linked to each other and collectively are involved in the process of ECM degradation that facilitates cancer cell invasion and metastasis. AD - Department of Gastrointestinal and General Surgery, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland Laboratory of Cytobiochemistry, Biotechnology Faculty, University of Wroclaw, Wroclaw, Poland Department of Minimally Invasive Surgery and Proctology, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland AU - Augoff,Katarzyna AU - Hryniewicz-Jankowska,Anita AU - Tabola,Renata AU - Czapla,Leszek AU - Szelachowski,Piotr AU - Wierzbicki,Jaroslaw AU - Grabowski,Krzysztof AU - Sikorski,Aleksander,F. DA - 2014/06/01 DO - 10.3892/or.2014.3162 EP - 2826 IS - 6 JO - Oncol Rep KW - esophageal squamous cell carcinoma dipeptidyl peptidase IV CD26 fibroblast activation protein-α seprase metalloproteinases PY - 2014 SN - 1021-335X 1791-2431 SP - 2820 ST - Upregulated expression and activation of membrane‑associated proteases in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma T2 - Oncology Reports TI - Upregulated expression and activation of membrane‑associated proteases in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma UR - https://doi.org/10.3892/or.2014.3162 VL - 31 ER -