title: Prognostic value of total cathepsin B in invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast.
abstract: Total cathepsin B (catB) was determined by ELISA in 62 specimens of invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast. It was measured in microgram/g of tumour protein (microgram/gtp). The median catB was 91 micrograms/gtp, not varying significantly with T-stage or with age. It was higher in lymph-node negative (143 micrograms/gtp) than in lymph-node positive patients (49 micrograms/gtp) (P = 0.0005), in grade 3 (132 micrograms/gtp) than in grade 1 and 2 tumours (72 micrograms/gtp) (P = 0.07) and in hormone receptor-negative (155 micrograms/gtp) than in hormone receptor-positive tumours (72 micrograms/gtp) (P = 0.025). The recurrence-free survival (RFS) at 54 months for patients with tumours with catB < or = 23 micrograms/gtp was 22% and for catB > 23 micrograms/gtp, 68% (P = 0.0004). CatB > 23 micrograms/gtp did not significantly influence the RFS. Multivariate analysis showed that lymph nodes involvement (P = 0.003) and catB (P = 0.007) were independent prognostic factors.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Oncology, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Budihna
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Skrk
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zakotnik
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gabrijelcic
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lindtner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002401:Cathepsin B / Q000032:analysis*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011379:Prognosis; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D002401:Cathepsin B