title: Cathepsin D in primary breast carcinoma: adverse prognosis is associated with expression of cathepsin D in stromal cells.
abstract: The immunohistochemical expression of the aspartyl protease enzyme cathepsin D was examined in a consecutive series of 103 primary operable breast carcinomas with the polyclonal antibody NCL-CDp. Expression of cathepsin D was identified within the epithelial and stromal components of all tumours examined. No significant associations of increased cathepsin D expression in the epithelial tumour component with conventional prognostic indices such as tumour size, grade, lymph node stage, or patient survival were identified. However, significant associations of increased stromal cathepsin D expression and high tumour grade, chi 2 = 11.40 (df = 2), p = 0.003; increased tendency to local recurrence, chi 2 = 6.87 (df = 1), p = 0.009; regional recurrence, chi 2 = 7.44 (df = 1), p = 0.006; poorer disease free survival, chi 2 = 14.9 (df = 1), p = 0.0001; and poorer overall patient survival, chi 2 = 6.90 (df = 1), p = 0.0086, were identified. Cathepsin D expression is present in all breast tumours. Stromal cathepsin D expression is a neglected immunohistochemical prognostic parameter which could explain some of the previous apparently conflicting reports concerning the effect on patient prognosis of biochemical (i.e. total) and immunohistochemical estimations of cathepsin D in breast cancers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Histopathology, City Hospital, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: O'Donoghue
authors.forename: D N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Poller
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Galea
authors.forename: C W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Elston
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Blamey
authors.forename: I O
authors.initials: IO
authors.lastname: Ellis
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology; D002402:Cathepsin D / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D011379:Prognosis; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D002402:Cathepsin D