Immunohistochemical analysis and prognostic value of cathepsin D determination in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.
Cathepsin D, a protease with the capability of degrading matrix proteins, is implicated in the process of breast and colorectal cancer invasion and metastasis. Biochemical studies in laryngeal cancer have shown a potential prognostic significance of cathepsin D content determination. We studied immunohistochemical positivity of cathepsin D in tumor epithelium and stroma of 61 surgical specimens of squamous cell laryngeal cancer. Immunohistochemical reaction was quantitatively assessed using a PC-based image analysis system SFORM-VAMS. The results were correlated to clinical and morphological parameters and survival. Immunohistochemical positivity was noted in neoplastic cells and tumor stroma. Significant prognostic value for cathepsin D was established separately for epithelial tumor component and tumor stroma using log-rank test, the Cox proportional hazards regression model, and C4.5 machine learning system. In all groups, patients above the median cathepsin D staining showed significantly shorter survival time. C4.5 machine learning system extracted cutoff values for the decision tree that defines the probabilities of patients survival and death with high sensitivity (92.8% alive, 73.6% dead), 100% specificity, and 86.9% accuracy. This makes immunohistochemical cathepsin D estimation an independent prognostic parameter in laryngeal carcinomas within a 5-year period from the time of tumor surgery.
Seiwerth
S
S
Institute of Pathology, Department of Pharmacology, and ENT Clinic, Medical Faculty University of Zagreb, Croatia.
Stambuk
N
N
Konjevoda
P
P
Masić
N
N
Vasilj
A
A
Bura
M
M
Klapan
I
I
Manojlović
S
S
Danić
D
D
D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D002402:Cathepsin D / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D016019:Survival Analysis
D002402:Cathepsin D