In addition, data on the stromal macrophages immunoreactivity of uPAR, MMP-2, and MMP-9 in a few SCC and SCLC biopsies was included. uPAR, MMP-2, and MMP-9 were confirmed in stromal cells including macrophages in the SCC and SCLC biopsies.
We examined the in situ distribution of basement membrane collagen (Col IV), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, MMP-9 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) by immunohistochemistry and their mRNA levels by Northern blot analysis in 14 cases of squamous cell carcinoma of the lung.