Objective:To investigate the expressions of maspin and the matrix metalloproteinase-2 and correlation between maspin and mmp-2 protein in NSCLC and their clinical significance.Methods: Immunohistochemical SP method was used to detect the expressions of maspin and mmp-2 in 65 NSCLC tssues

8 tissues of benign disease of lung

and 8 normal lung tissues.Results:Maspin protein in normal lung tissues and benign lesions in the lungs were of high expression:the positive rates were 100%(8/8) and 87.5%(7/8)respectively.The positive rate of NSCLC showed a significant reduction which was 15.4%(10/65).mmp-2 in normal lung tissues and benign lesions of the lungs did not express or showed low-expression: the positive rates were 12.5%(1/8) and 37.5%(3/8)respectively

and its expression in NSCLC was significantly higher

which is 73.3%.Maspin protein expression in NSCLC had a correlation with lymph node metastasis

and mmp-2 expression in NSCLC had a correlation with lymph node metastasis and TNM staging.Both maspin protein and mmp-2 did not show correlation between the two genders

age

tumor size

or histological type.Conclusion:The expression of maspin protein in NSCLC is down-regulated and mmp-2 shows an over-expression in NSCLC.The expression of Maspin protein and mmp-2 has a negative correlation(rs=-0.54

P=0.018).They play an important role in invasion and metastasis in lung cancer.They can be an effective indicator of biological behavior which can reflect lung cancer pathology.