Expression of adipocyte-derived leucine aminopeptidase in endometrial cancer. Association with tumor grade and CA-125.
Adipocyte-derived leucine aminopeptidase (A-LAP) is a novel zinc-metallopeptidase involved in angiotensin II (AngII) metabolism, cell migration and antigen presentation. These functions are implicated in the progression of cancer, whereas A-LAP expression and involvement have not been studied in any type of cancer. We investigated the expression of A-LAP in endometrial cancer as well as its association with angiogenesis and clinicopathological features. Immunohistochemical staining of 58 endometrial endometrioid adenocarcinoma specimens revealed that 37 were A-LAP immunoreactive. We also found that A-LAP staining correlated with histological tumor grade in a significant and reverse manner. In addition, serum CA-125 levels in patients with A-LAP positive cancers were significantly higher. However, contrary to our hypothesis that A-LAP suppresses angiogenic activity via AngII metabolism, A-LAP expression was not associated with the microvessel count determined by CD34 immunostaining. Our results suggest that A-LAP is involved in endometrial cancer cell growth and differentiation. However, further studies, especially of the biological roles of A-LAP, are required to confirm this notion.
Kazeto
Hideo
H
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.
Nomura
Seiji
S
Ito
Norio
N
Ito
Tomomi
T
Watanabe
Yoshiteru
Y
Kajiyama
Hiroaki
H
Shibata
Kiyosumi
K
Ino
Kazuhiko
K
Tamakoshi
Koji
K
Hattori
Akira
A
Kikkawa
Fumitaka
F
Nagasaka
Tetsuro
T
Tsujimoto
Masafumi
M
Mizutani
Shigehiko
S
D017667:Adipocytes / Q000201:enzymology*; D018394:CA-125 Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007931:Leucyl Aminopeptidase / Q000032:analysis*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging
D018394:CA-125 Antigen; D007931:Leucyl Aminopeptidase