MMP2 and rectal neoplasm: Our results are also in accordance with the study of Wu et al., who demonstrated an increased expression of MMP-2 in CRC tissues, but negative in normal colorectal tissues [6], and with the paper of Kim et al. that also indicated higher levels of MMP-2 protein in colon and rectal tumor tissues than in corresponding paired normal mucosa, although, in their study, TIMP-2 tissue levels were significantly lower in cancer than in normal tissue [27].