title: Prognostic value of cathepsins B, H, L, D and their endogenous inhibitors stefins A and B in head and neck carcinoma.
abstract: To estimate the prognostic value of cathepsins B, H, L, D and stefins A and B in head and neck carcinoma, their concentrations in cytosols of primary tumours and adjacent normal tissue were measured (cathepsins B, D stefins A, B in 45, cathepsin L in 24 and cathepsin H in 21 patients). Median concentrations of cathepsins B, L, and D were significantly higher in tumour than in the adjacent normal tissue (B and D: p < 0.0001; L: p = 0.004); cathepsin H concentration was higher in normal tissue (p = 0.001). Concentrations of either stefin did not differ significantly between normal and tumour tissue. Concentrations of cathepsins B, H, L, and D were higher in laryngeal than in non-laryngeal normal and tumour tissues. The difference was statistically significant for cathepsin B in tumour tissue (p = 0.045), and marginally significant in normal tissue (p = 0.07). Early tumours had lower concentrations of stefins A and B than locally advanced tumours (stefin A: p = 0.04; stefin B: p = 0.07). Disease-free and disease-specific survival rates were better in patients with concentrations of cathepsin L in tumour tissue below or equal to the cut-off values (p = 0.035; p = 0.05), whereas for cathepsin B the difference was established only for disease-free survival (p = 0.07). The opposite was true for stefin A (p = 0.0002; p = 0.002) and stefin B (p = 0.009; p = 0.003), and in disease-free survival also for cathepsin H (p = 0.055). The concentration of cathepsin D did not correlate with survival. Our data indicate that cathepsins B, H, L and stefins A and B might have prognostic value in head and neck carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Oncology, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Budihna
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Strojan
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Smid
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Skrk
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Vrhovec
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zupevc
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Rudolf
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zargi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krasovec
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Svetic
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kopitar-Jerala
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000201:enzymology*; D002403:Cathepsins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D055312:Cystatin A; D055313:Cystatin B; D015891:Cystatins / Q000378:metabolism*; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D003600:Cytosol / Q000378:metabolism; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000201:enzymology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C524994:CSTB protein, human; D055312:Cystatin A; D015891:Cystatins; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors; C026407:CSTA protein, human; D055313:Cystatin B; D002403:Cathepsins