title: Significance of cathepsin-D expression in uterine tumours.
abstract: Cathepsin-D (Cath-D) expression was evaluated by an immunoradiometric assay in 67 primary endometrial carcinomas and 70 cervical cancers. In the endometrial tumours, an inverse correlation was observed between Cath-D levels and stage (P = 0.027) and myometrial invasion (P = 0.046). A significant correlation between Cath-D levels and hormone receptor status was demonstrated (P < 0.05). In cervical cancer, no differences in the distribution of Cath-D levels according to clinicopathological parameters and hormone receptors were observed. However, patients not responding to neoadjuvant chemotherapy had significantly lower Cath-D values than those showing complete or partial response (P = 0.011). As far as prognostic significance is concerned, it appears that Cath-D expression might have a different role in the two uterine neoplasias. While our preliminary data in endometrial cancer suggest that high Cath-D levels may be a favourable prognostic indicator, cervical cancer patients with Cath-D+ tumours had a shorter disease-free survival than those with Cath-D- tumors (P = 0.017).
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Catholic University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Scambia
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Benedetti Panici
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ferrandina
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Distefano
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Romanini
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sica
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mancuso
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018196:Carcinoma, Adenosquamous / Q000201:enzymology; D018269:Carcinoma, Endometrioid / Q000201:enzymology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000201:enzymology; D002402:Cathepsin D / Q000032:analysis*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016019:Survival Analysis; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology*
chemical_list: D002402:Cathepsin D