title: Immunhistochemical analysis for expression of calpain 1, calpain 2 and calpastatin in endometrial cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Calpains (CAPN) are intracellular, non-lysosomal cytoplasmic cysteine endopeptidases and they are expressed ubiquitously. Their endogenous specific inhibitor is calpastatin. When calcium is present, calpastatin and calpain attach to each other, inhibiting the protease. The calpain system plays an important role in many processes including apoptosis, necrosis, ischaemia and exocytosis. The role of calpains in pathogenesis or further tumour progression has been proved in related studies. This study focused on the expression of the enzymes calpain 1, calpain 2 and the inhibitor calpastatin in normal and malignant endometrial tissue.
  
  
  METHODS
  Immunohistochemical stainings were performed on paraffin slices and staining intensity, percentage of positive cells and international ratio score were evaluated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The endometrial carcinoma showed a higher expression of calpastatin than benign endometrial tissue.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstretics, Helios Hospital Krefeld, Lutherplatz 40, 47805 Krefeld, Germany. darius.salehin@helios-kliniken.de
authors.forename: Darius
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Salehin
authors.forename: Iris
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fromberg
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Haugk
authors.forename: Birgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dohmen
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Georg
authors.forename: Rainer Maria
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Bohle
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bauerschlag
authors.forename: Nicolai
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Maass
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Friedrich
mesh_terms: D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002154:Calpain / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging
chemical_list: D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; C033668:calpastatin; D002154:Calpain; C569870:CAPN2 protein, human