Secretion of gelatinases by human pancreatic cancer cell lines: lack of correlation with invasive ability.

Twelve immortalized human cell lines derived from primary or metastatic lesions from pancreatic carcinomas were studied with respect to their in vitro invasiveness and motility. Various levels of invasive capacity and chemotactic responses were found. Zymograms of cells conditioned media were carried out to determine the role of metalloproteinases in pancreatic cancer invasion. No correlations were found, however, between invasive capacity of pancreatic carcinoma cell lines and gelatinase secretion. Putative reasons for these findings are discussed.