title: Expression of cathepsin L in normal endometrium and endometrial cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the expression of cathepsin L in normal endometrium and endometrial adenocarcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tissue from eight cases of G1 and eight of G2 endometrioid adenocarcinoma, and 15 normal endometrial specimens were examined by immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the normal endometrium, cathepsin L was expressed in a few cell layers of the apical part of the glandular epithelium throughout the menstrual cycle. In the carcinomas, there was an inverse correlation between the grade of tumor and the cathepsin L expression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cathepsin L expression may cease during endometrial carcinogenesis and its expression may be less important in tumor progression than it is in tumors of other tissues.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Oita Medical University, Hasama-machi, Oita 879-5593, Japan. nasu@oita-med.ac.jp
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nasu
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kai
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujisawa
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Takai
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nishida
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Miyakawa
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D056668:Cathepsin L; D002403:Cathepsins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D004717:Endometrium / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008597:Menstrual Cycle; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D002403:Cathepsins; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; C534281:CTSL protein, human; D056668:Cathepsin L