There was higher expression of MMP-9 and lower expression of RECK in women with CIN II/CIN III/SCC when compared with women from the control group with no neoplasia or CIN I. Our in vitro findings are consistent with earlier studies and support the theory that an important event in cervical cancer progression consists of decreased RECK gene expression, associated with high miR-21 gene expression in HPV-transformed cervical cancer cells. This evidence concerns the gene MMP9 and cervical carcinoma.