title: Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis of cathepsin D and pS2 in breast disease; results from a prospective study.
abstract: The cytosol values of estrogen-regulated proteins cathepsin D and pS2 were evaluated in 166 patients with breast diseases by a receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Our aim was to compare their diagnostic accuracy and to define optimal cut-off levels for the cytosol values of these proteins in breast cancer (n = 133). The preoperative mean cytosol cathepsin D values in the breast cancer group were higher than in patients with benign breast disease (p < 0.001). The correlation coefficient (Pearson's r) between Cathepsin D and pS2 measurements was 0.286 (p < 0.001) in breast cancer patients. The ROC analysis indicated that the cathepsin D test was more sensitive than the pS2 test at all specificity levels, and the cathepsin D test reached considerably high sensitivity (86%) at the specificity level of 80%. According to present study, it would seem optimal to use the cut-off level of 33.0 pmol/mg for cathepsin D analysis and the level of 31.0 ng/mg for pS2 in breast cancer. In conclusion, the results of ROC curve analysis suggest that the cathepsin D test has advantage over pS2 because of its higher sensitivity in breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Kuopio University Hospital, Finland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eskelinen
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kataja
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hämäläinen
authors.forename: V M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Kosma
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001941:Breast Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D002402:Cathepsin D / Q000032:analysis*; D003600:Cytosol / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D012372:ROC Curve; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D000071163:Trefoil Factor-1; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins
chemical_list: D006133:Growth Substances; D011506:Proteins; C051838:TFF1 protein, human; D000071163:Trefoil Factor-1; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D002402:Cathepsin D