title: Immunostaining of cathepsin D in breast cancer: quantification by computerised image analysis and correlation with cytosolic assay.
abstract: Cathepsin-D (cath-D) was quantified in 34 breast cancer specimens by immunohistochemical staining of frozen sections with a computer image analysis and the results were compared with the corresponding cytosolic assay. Cath-D concentrations varied from 0 to 420 arbitrary units (AU). Tumour cells were more intensely stained than peritumoral tissue with the D7E3 mouse monoclonal antibody than with rabbit polyclonal antibodies. There was a good correlation (r = 0.80) between cath-D values obtained either by immunohistochemistry with D7E3 antibody or by cytosolic immunoenzymatic assay. However, with a cut-off of 50 AU, 3 out of 25 patients had higher immunohistochemical values and 2 had higher cytosolic values. Therefore, quantification of cath-D concentration in tissue section by immunostaining and a computerised image analyser, which is the only technique available for small tumours, should provide similar prognostic information to that obtained by assaying cath-D in the cytosol.
authors.affiliation: Unité INSERM 148 Hormones and Cancer, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Maudelonde
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Brouillet
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Roger
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Giraudier
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pages
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rochefort
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D001940:Breast / Q000201:enzymology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology*; D002402:Cathepsin D / Q000032:analysis*; D003600:Cytosol / Q000201:enzymology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D051379:Mice; D011379:Prognosis; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002402:Cathepsin D