title: Immunoradiometric detection of pS2 and total cathepsin D in primary breast cancer biopsies: their correlation with steroid receptors.
abstract: Commercially available immunoradiometric assays were used for pS2 and total cathepsin D determination in the cytosol fraction obtained from 266 primary breast cancers. We show that pS2 and cathepsin D values were significantly associated (Spearman's rank correlation: P < 0.0001) in tumours from lymph node-positive patients (N+), while such association did not reach significance in tumours taken from patients with negative lymph nodes (N-). Moreover, cathepsin D concentrations in pS2-rich tumours (pS2 above the median value, 5 ng mg-1 protein) were significantly higher (Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon's rank-sum test: P = 0.00001) than those obtained in the samples expressing less than 5 ng of pS2 per mg of protein. pS2 was also correlated to both the oestrogen receptor (ER) (Spearman's rank correlation: P < 0.0001) and the progesterone receptor (PR) (Spearman's rank correlation: P = 0.022). No significant differences in the expression of pS2 and cathepsin D taken from N+ and N- patients were found. Furthermore, no significant differences in pS2 and cathepsin D expression were obtained by stratifying tumours on the basis of their size (T). pS2 and cathepsin D values obtained in ER-positive/PR-positive tumours did not significantly differ from the values obtained in ER-positive/PR-negative and in ER-negative/PR-positive tumours. We conclude that pS2 could have a role in cathepsin D expression, and that it can be used in the assessment of a functioning oestrogen response machinery in those tumours that express only ER.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Lecce, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marsigliante
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Biscozzo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Correale
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Paradiso
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Leo
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Abbate
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Dragone
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Storelli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001706:Biopsy; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D002402:Cathepsin D / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D011506:Proteins; D011863:Radioimmunoassay / Q000379:methods; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis*; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000032:analysis*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D000071163:Trefoil Factor-1; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins
chemical_list: D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; C051838:TFF1 protein, human; D000071163:Trefoil Factor-1; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D002402:Cathepsin D