AIM:To study the correlation between expression of MMP-2,TIMP-2 protein and the ratio of MMP-2/TIMP-2 and clinical-pathological parameters of patients with gallbladdercarcinoma.METHODS:Carcinomas(n=45)and polypoid lesions(n=15)of the gallbladder were studied for the expressionof MMP-2 and TIMP-2 protein by irnmunohistochemicalavidin-biotin-complex method and image analysis.Clinical-pathological data of patients with gallbladder carcinomasuch as histological type,grade of differentiation,level ofinfiltration,liver invasion and lymph node involvement,etc,were recorded.RESULTS:There was significant difference between theaverage level(1.123±0.108 vs 1.030±0.054,P=0.002)ofMMP-2,the ratio(1.050±0.013 vs0.937±0.078,P=0.003)of MMP-2/TIMP-2 in gallbladder carcinomas and in polypoidlesions of the gallbladder.Significant difference was foundbetween the expression of MMP-2 in early stage andadvanced.tumors,but there was no correlation betweenMMP-2 protein expression and histological type,differentiation degree,infiltration level,lymph nodeinvolvement or liver invasion.Although no difference wasobserved between TIMP-2 expression and histological typeor differentiation degree,significant difference was foundbetween TIMP-2 expression and different Nevin stage,infiltration level,local lymph node involvement or liverinvasion(1.168±0.067 vs 1.048±0.075,1.170±0.062 vs1.039±0.069,1.039±0.076 vs 1.147±0.083,1.048±0.074vs 1.103±0.095,P<0.05).MMP-2/TIMP-2 ratio did notcorrelate with histological type,grade of differentiation andliver invasion,but significant differences were foundbetween MMP-2/TIMP-2 ratio and different Nevin stage,infiltration level and lymph node involvement in patientswith carcinoma of gallbladder.CONCLUSION:TIMP-2 and MMP-2/TIMP-2 ratio couldreflect more accurately biological characteristic of gallbladdercarcinoma and MMP-2/TIMP-2 ratio might be a new significant marker in early diagnosis,in the judgment ofinvasion or metastasis and the estimate of prognosis inpatients with gallbladder carcinomas. AIM: To study the correlation between expression of MMP-2 and TIMP-2 protein and the ratio of MMP-2 / TIMP-2 and clinical-pathological parameters of patients with gallbladder carcinoma. METHODS: Carcinomas (n = 45) and polypoid lesions n = 15) of the gallbladder were studied for the expression of MMP-2 and TIMP-2 protein by irnmunohistochemicalavidin-biotin-complex method and image analysis. Clinical-pathological data of patients with gallbladder carcinomasuch as histological type, grade of differentiation, level of infiltration , there was significant difference between theaverage level (1.123 ± 0.108 vs 1.030 ± 0.054, P = 0.002) of MMP-2, the ratio (1.050 ± 0.013 vs0.937 ± 0.078 , P = 0.003) of MMP-2 / TIMP-2 in gallbladder carcinomas and in polypoid lesions of the gallbladder. Identification difference was found between the expression of MMP-2 in early stage and advanced. Tumors, but there was no correlation between MMP-2 protein expression and histological type, diffe rentiation degree, infiltration level, lymph node invasion or liver invasion. Although no difference was observed between TIMP-2 expression and histological type of differentiation degree, significant difference was found between TIMP-2 expression and different Nevin stage, infiltration level, local lymph node involvement or liver invasion ( 1.168 ± 0.067 vs 1.048 ± 0.075, 1.170 ± 0.062 vs1.039 ± 0.069, 1.039 ± 0.076 vs 1.147 ± 0.083,1.048 ± 0.074 vs 1.103 ± 0.095, P <0.05) .MMP-2 / TIMP-2 ratio did notcorrelate with histological type, grade of differentiation andliver invasion, but significant differences were found between MMP-2 / TIMP-2 ratio and different Nevin stages, infiltration level and lymph node involvement in patients with carcinoma of gallbladder.CONCLUSION: TIMP-2 and MMP- 2 / TIMP- 2 ratio couldreflect more accurately biological characteristic of gallbladder carcinoma and MMP-2 / TIMP-2 ratio might be a new significant marker in early diagnosis, in the judgment of invasion or metastasis and the estimate of prognos is inpatients with gallbladder carcinomas.