Objective: Morphopathogenesis of facial clefts is still multifactorial.However, involvement of tissue modelating factors and gene proteins appear more and more actual in scientific research.Thus, the aim of our work was detection of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP), tissue inhibitors of MMP and tissue modulatory genes in bi-and unilateral cleft lip palate (UCLP and BCLP).Methods: Tissue was obtained from 5 children with UCLP and 6 children with BCLP during plastical surgery.Sections were stained routinely and by immunohistochemistry for MMP2, TIMP2, TIMP4, Ki67, RYK and PAX9.Results were evaluated semiquantitatively and by comparison between the cleft type and dentition aspect.