Immunohistochemical study of cathepsin B. Prognostic significance in human lung cancer.
BACKGROUND
The concentration of cysteine proteinase cathepsin B has been shown to be elevated in association with malignancy or metastatic potential of human and rodent tumors, but its prognostic value for human lung cancer remains undetermined.


METHODS
Using a polyclonal antibody, immunohistochemical analyses of cathepsin B were performed on paraffin embedded sections of tumors obtained surgically from 108 patients with non-small cell lung cancer (49 squamous cell carcinomas, 59 adenocarcinomas). The immunohistochemical expressions of cathepsin B in the tumors were compared with patient survival.


RESULTS
Higher grade expression of cathepsin B was associated significantly with shorter survival in non-small cell lung cancer (P < 0.01), in squamous cell carcinoma (P < 0.05), and in adenocarcinoma (P < 0.01). A similar result also was seen in Stage I non-small cell lung cancer (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The authors concluded that the immunohistochemical staining pattern of cathepsin B may be a useful predictor of survival for human lung cancer.
Sukoh
N
N
First Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Hokkaido University Hospital, Sapporo, Japan.
Abe
S
S
Ogura
S
S
Isobe
H
H
Takekawa
H
H
Inoue
K
K
Kawakami
Y
Y
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000401:mortality; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis; D002401:Cathepsin B / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012044:Regression Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002401:Cathepsin B