title: Cathepsin E expression by normal and premalignant cervical epithelium.
abstract: We have investigated the expression of the aspartic proteinase cathepsin E and HLA-DR and the presence of HPV16 in normal squamous epithelium (n = 8) and low-grade (n = 21) and high-grade (n = 14) intraepithelial squamous lesions of the uterine cervix. Immunohistochemistry of cervical biopsies revealed that up-regulation of cathepsin E expression was related to increasing severity of the cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). Up-regulation of protein was associated with increased message as assessed by in situ hybridization. Langerhans cells and the majority of koilocytes did not express detectable cathepsin E levels. Although there was also an up-regulation of HLA-DR expression by cervical keratinocytes in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia lesions, as determined by immunohistochemistry, no significant correlation was found between HLA-DR and cathepsin E expression in these lesions; neither was expression of cathepsin E correlated to the presence of HPV16, detected by polymerase chain reaction. The expression of cathepsin E, an aspartic proteinase that is reported to play a role in antigen processing for presentation by class II major histocompatibility complex molecules, is associated with cellular dedifferentiation in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, University College London Medical School, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mota
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kanan
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rayment
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mould
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Singer
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Chain
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D020059:Cathepsin E; D002403:Cathepsins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004848:Epithelium / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D014066:Palatine Tonsil; D027383:Papillomaviridae; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D002403:Cathepsins; D020059:Cathepsin E