title: Determination of cathepsin B expression may offer additional prognostic information for ovarian cancer patients.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: NCSR Demokritos IPC, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Scorilas
authors.forename: Stelios
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fotiou
authors.forename: Evangelos
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tsiambas
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yotis
authors.forename: Fani
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kotsiandri
authors.forename: Mansoureh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sameni
authors.forename: Bonnie F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Sloane
authors.forename: Maroulio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Talieri
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D002401:Cathepsin B