Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are believed to play an essential role in cancer invasion, although detailed differences between noninvasive and invasive lung carcinomas are still unclear. To elucidate the expression and activity patterns of MMPs in noninvasive and invasive carcinoma of the lung, we performed in situ hybridization and real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction to detect messenger RNAs (mRNAs) of MMPs and their tissue inhibitors (TIMPs). The basement membrane was evaluated by immunohistochemistry for type IV collagen. Gelatinase activity was examined by zymography and in situ zymography. A total of 14 surgically resected primary pulmonary adenocarcinomas were used for this study. All the tumors were adenocarcinoma mixed bronchioloalveolar carcinomas according to the 1999 WHO classification. MMP and TIMP2 mRNAs were detected by in situ hybridization in all samples, in both noninvasive and invasive carcinoma components. Signals for MMP mRNAs were significantly higher in both noninvasive and invasive carcinomas than in tumor-free lung tissue. However, the differences were small between noninvasive and invasive carcinomas, not only in the amount of mRNA but also in the activity of the MMPs. In most carcinomas, stromal fibroblast-type cells tended to express levels of MMP and TIMP2 mRNAs that were higher than or at least similar to those expressed in epithelial cells. Our data on mixed adenocarcinoma suggest that noninvasive carcinoma areas already express a molecular mechanism involving MMPs similar to that expressed by invasive carcinoma areas. Stromal fibroblast-type cells seem to be the most important source of MMPs, from the earliest event of tumor invasion by pulmonary adenocarcinomas. Modern Pathology (2005) 18, 828-837, advance online publication, 14 January 2005; doi:10.1038/modpathol.3800365Keywords: bronchioloalveolar carcinoma; in situ hybridization; matrix metalloproteinase Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) is essential in remodeling the extracellular matrix. The degradation of the extracellular matrix and basement membranes by MMPs is believed to be crucial in tumor invasion. 1,2 Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) were initially recognized as inhibitors of MMPs, as the name implies. However, subsequent studies revealed that TIMP2 also plays an important role in the activation of MMP2. A complex of TIMP2 and MT1-MMP is now known to be a receptor and activator of MMP2. 3 MMP1, MMP2, MMP3, MMP7, MMP9, MMP11, MMP13, MT1-MMP, TIMP1, and TIMP2 have been detected in various histological types of lung carcinomas. [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] However, previous studies rarely examined noninvasive carcinomas, and little is known about how MMP expression differs in noninvasive and invasive carcinomas. Immunohistochemical detection of MMP2 in bronchioloalveolar carcinomas has produced a great variety of results. The expression frequency of MMP2 in bronchioloalveolar carcinomas has been reported to range from 17 to 96%. [19][20][21] This might be du...