Expression of cathepsin D in head and neck cancer.
To determine overexpression of cathepsin D in head and neck tumours we examined cytosols from 53 primary tumours, nine cytosols of lymph node metastases and 12 cytosols from adjacent normal tissue. We found a significantly lower concentration in normal tissue compared with tumour cytosol as well as with metastases, even when we compared tumours and corresponding metastases pairwise. In addition, we found a significantly higher concentration of cathepsin D in five lymph node metastases than in the corresponding tumours. We conclude that the reported role of cathepsin D is not restricted to breast cancer but could also be important in head and neck cancer.
Zeillinger
R
R
First Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Vienna, Austria.
Swoboda
H
H
Machacek
E
E
Nekahm
D
D
Sliutz
G
G
Knogler
W
W
Speiser
P
P
Swoboda
E
E
Kubista
E
E
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D002402:Cathepsin D / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D003600:Cytosol / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002402:Cathepsin D