title: Comparison of potential biological markers cathepsin B, cathepsin L, stefin A and stefin B with urokinase and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 and clinicopathological data of breast carcinoma patients.
abstract: Cysteine, serine and metalloproteinases and their respective inhibitors are involved in tumor cell invasion and may have prognostic value for the outcome of malignant disease. The aim of the study was to compare the expression of new potential biological tumor markers, the lysosomal cysteine proteinases and their endogenous inhibitors, with that of the serine proteinases and their inhibitors in breast cancinoma and to relate their levels to the clinicopathological factors of the disease. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) were used to measure cysteine cathepsin B (CatB) and cathepsin L (CatL) and their inhibitors, stefin A (StA) and stefin B (StB), together with urokinase (u-PA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), in 150 cytosols of primary invasive breast carcinoma. A good correlation was found between the levels of the two cysteine proteinases but only a moderate one between those of the cysteine and serine proteinases. u-PA and PAI-1 levels correlated positively with histological grade and negatively with estrogen receptor (ER) status. PAI-1 correlated with most clinicopathological factors that indicate the progression of the disease, while cathepsins and stefins were independent of these factors. In the total group of patients, high u-PA and PAI-1 and low StB levels correlated significantly with shorter disease-free survival (DFS), while CatB, CatL and StA did not. In lymph node negative patients, high CatB and CatL were also associated with shorter DFS, while u-PA remained the most significant of all these biological markers. In conclusion, this retrospective study showed u-PA to be of better prognostic relevance than the cysteine proteinases, though CatB and CatL were relevant for prognosis in lymph node negative breast cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetic Toxicology and Cancer Biology, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Natasa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Levicar
authors.forename: Janko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kos
authors.forename: Andrej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Blejec
authors.forename: Rastko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Golouh
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Vrhovec
authors.forename: Snjezana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Frkovic-Grazio
authors.forename: Tamara T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Lah
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D002401:Cathepsin B / Q000378:metabolism; D056668:Cathepsin L; D002403:Cathepsins / Q000378:metabolism; D055312:Cystatin A; D055313:Cystatin B; D015891:Cystatins / Q000378:metabolism; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D017395:Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C524994:CSTB protein, human; D055312:Cystatin A; D015891:Cystatins; D017395:Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; C026407:CSTA protein, human; D055313:Cystatin B; D002403:Cathepsins; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; D002401:Cathepsin B; C534281:CTSL protein, human; D056668:Cathepsin L