Increased cathepsin L levels in serum in some patients with ovarian cancer: comparison with CA125 and CA72-4.
Our purpose was to determine the correlation between cathepsin L mRNA levels and serum cathepsin L levels of patients with ovarian cancer. Moreover, we compared serum cathepsin L levels with cancer antigen 125 (CA125) and cancer antigen 72-4 (CA72-4) levels. Using an ELISA assay, serum samples of 30 patients with gynecological tumors were analyzed for cathepsin L, CA125, and CA72-4. We also examined whether cathepsin L gene expression was enhanced in ovarian cancer samples, by quantitative Northern blot analysis with a human cathepsin L complementary DNA (cDNA) probe. Significantly increased serum levels of cathepsin L in patients with ovarian cancer (P < 0.05) were observed. We also measured serum levels of CA125 and CA72-4 in the same patients. Compared with CA125 and CA72-4, cathepsin L showed a lower false-positive rate (27.2%) in gynecological diseases, and no correlation was observed between cathepsin L and CA125 or CA72-4 values. Moreover, ovarian cancer samples were found to express higher levels of cathepsin L mRNA than those of uterine cancer, benign ovarian tumor, and normal ovary samples. Our data demonstrated that serum cathepsin L may be useful in the early detection of ovarian cancer. Furthermore, the combination assay consisting of cathepsin L, CA125, and CA72-4 may be a more useful method than those currently in use for the detection of ovarian cancer.
Nishida
Y
Y
Department of Biochemistry, Oita Medical University, Japan.
Kohno
K
K
Kawamata
T
T
Morimitsu
K
K
Kuwano
M
M
Miyakawa
I
I
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate / Q000097:blood*; D018394:CA-125 Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D056668:Cathepsin L; D002403:Cathepsins / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D002648:Child; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000097:blood*; D010450:Endopeptidases; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000097:blood
D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate; D018394:CA-125 Antigen; C083825:CA-72-4 antigen; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D002403:Cathepsins; D010450:Endopeptidases; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; C534281:CTSL protein, human; D056668:Cathepsin L