Determination of cathepsin B expression may offer additional prognostic information for ovarian cancer patients.
The lysosomal cysteine proteinase cathepsin B has been implicated in the progression of various human tumors including ovarian cancer. Included in this study were 63 patients with epithelial ovarian carcinoma. Follow-up information (median follow-up period 7 years) was available for all patients, among whom 42 (66.7%) had relapsed and 32 (50.8%) had died. The immunohistochemistry method was adopted for the detection of cathepsin B using paraffin embedded specimens. Results were compared to clinico-pathological data. Statistical analysis showed cathepsin B expression to be significantly associated with the stage of disease, debulking success and interestingly, with progesterone receptors. It was also inversely related to progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Accordingly, cathepsin B can be regarded as unfavorable and as an independent tumor marker for progression-free survival and overall survival in ovarian cancer patients with long follow-up.
Scorilas
Andreas
A
NCSR Demokritos IPC, Athens, Greece.
Fotiou
Stelios
S
Tsiambas
Evangelos
E
Yotis
Julia
J
Kotsiandri
Fani
F
Sameni
Mansoureh
M
Sloane
Bonnie F
BF
Talieri
Maroulio
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002401:Cathepsin B / Q000032:analysis*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000401:mortality; D011379:Prognosis; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D012008:Recurrence; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate
D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D002401:Cathepsin B