title: Prognostic significance of immunoreactive neutrophil elastase in human breast cancer: long-term follow-up results in 313 patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We have measured the concentration of immunoreactive neutrophil elastase (ir-NE) in the tumor extracts of 313 primary human breast cancers. Sufficient time has elapsed, and we are now ready to analyze its prognostic value in human breast cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  ir-NE concentration in tumor extracts was determined with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay that enables a rapid measurement of both free-form ir-NE and the A1-protease inhibitor-complexed form of ir-NE. We analyzed the prognostic value of this enzyme in human breast cancer in univariate and multivariate analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with breast cancer tissue containing a high concentration of ir-NE had poor survival compared to those with a low concentration of ir-NE at the cutoff point of 9.0 microg/100 mg protein (P = .0012), which had been previously determined in another group of 49 patients. Multivariate stepwise analysis selected lymph node status (P = .0004; relative risk = 1.46) and ir-NE concentration (P = .0013; relative risk = 1.43) as independent prognostic factors for recurrence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tumor ir-NE concentration is an independent prognostic factor in patients with breast cancer who undergo curative surgery. This enzyme may play an active role in tumor progression that leads to metastasis in human breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Aichi Medical University, Nagakute 21, Aichi 480-1195, Japan.
authors.forename: Miwa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akizuki
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fukutomi
authors.forename: Miyuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takasugi
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Michiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Harao
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mizumoto
authors.forename: Jun-ichi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yamashita
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D019272:Leukocyte Elastase / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D019272:Leukocyte Elastase