title: Activity of cathepsin D and alpha(1)-antitrypsin in the blood serum of patients with mammary carcinoma.
abstract: THE AIM of this study was to determine the activity of cathepsin D and alpha(1)-antitrypsin in the blood serum of patients with mammary carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted on 52 women operated for a unilateral breast tumor, divided into two groups, according to the number of metastases and tumor size. Cathepsin D activity was determined using the method of Anson, while alpha(1)-antitrypsin activity was determined according to the Eriksson method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both groups of patients with mammary carcinoma were found to have higher activity of cathepsin D before the treatment compared to healthy females. After the surgery the enzyme activity increased significantly, whereas 6 months after the surgery it generally decreased. The activity of alpha(1)-antitrypsin was significantly lower in patients before the treatment than in the controls, while after 6 months an increase in alpha(1)-antitrypsin activity was observed. The correlation between activity of cathepsin D and alpha(1)-antitrypsin was revealed. High enzyme activity and low alpha(1)-antitrypsin activity may result from the stage of neoplastic transformation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The determination of cathepsin D activity together with alpha(1)-antitrypsin activity may serve as useful biochemical marker in monitoring of malignant changes in breast tumor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biology, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wozniak
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mila-Kierzenkowska
authors.forename: D O
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Schachtschabel
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wozniak
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rozwodowska
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Drewa
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Drewa
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sir
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sir
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Maciak
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Krzyzynska-Malinowska
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D002402:Cathepsin D / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin; D002402:Cathepsin D