Expression of cathepsin D in breast cancer and its clinical and histopathological correlations

• Published in: Revista de investigacion clinica Vol. 49; no. 5; pp. 361 - 368
• Main Authors: Ramírez-Ortega, M C, Frías-Mendívil, M, Delgado-Chávez, R, Meneses-García, A, Carrillo-Hernández, J F, Ramírez-Ugalde, M T, Zeichner-Gancz, I
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Mexico 01.09.1997
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Biomarkers, Tumor - analysis; Breast Neoplasms - enzymology; Breast Neoplasms - mortality; Breast Neoplasms - pathology; Cathepsin D - analysis; Female; Humans; Menopause; Middle Aged; Necrosis; Neoplasm Invasiveness; Neoplasm Metastasis; Neoplasm Proteins - analysis; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; Neoplasm Staging; Neoplasms, Hormone-Dependent - enzymology; Neoplasms, Hormone-Dependent - mortality; Neoplasms, Hormone-Dependent - pathology; Prognosis; Receptors, Estrogen - analysis; Receptors, Progesterone - analysis; Retrospective Studies
• ISSN: 0034-8376

Cathepsin D is a lysosomal protease which is overexpressed in some cases of breast cancer. Several studies done in tumor cytosol have shown that high levels of cathepsin D are associated with poor prognosis in patients with breast cancer but the results are not conclusive using immunohistochemistry methods to assay cathepsin D. To evaluate if cathepsin D, assayed by a immunohistochemical technique using a polyclonal antibody, can be considered an independent prognostic factor in breast cancer. Paraffine embedded sections of 68 tumor specimens from breast cancer patients in stages I to IV seen at the Instituto Nacional de Cancerologia during the period from 1985 to 1986. From the 68 patients, 35 (51%) had an intense positive staining for cathepsin D, 19 (28%) han mild staining and 14 (21%) were negative. Ten patients with mild staining had artifacts due to deficiencies in the tissue fixation technique. Cathepsin D expression did not have a prognostic value nor association with other clinical and histopathological prognostic factors well established in breast cancer. Cathepsin D determined by immunohistochemistry has no prognostic value in breast cancer.