title: Significance of the tumor protease cathepsin D for the biology of breast cancer.
abstract: Cathepsin D is a protease involved in the metastasis and angiogenesis of mammary carcinomas. This review analyzes the significance of the tumor protease cathepsin D in mammary carcinomas as a tumor marker. We present a systematic overview based on a selective Medline search. Cathepsin D is expressed in mammary carcinomas and exhibits higher expression in invasive ductal carcinomas compared with lobular carcinomas. Nodal positive carcinomas showed reduced cathepsin D expression compared to lymph node metastases, and increased expression has been observed in hormone-receptor negative tumors. Thus, the expression of cathepsin varies between the two histological types. Increased cathepsin-D expression in acinar affection has also been described. The lack of an association of cathepsin D with known prognostic factors such as CA15-3, ERalpha and ERbeta does not prevent it from being using as a tumor marker. Cathepsin has already been used along with other genes as a prognostic parameter for carcinoma patients in gene arrays.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Campus Innenstadt, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Darius
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dian
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Campus Innenstadt, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Heublein
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Campus Innenstadt, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Irmi
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Wiest
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Campus Innenstadt, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Barthell
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Campus Innenstadt, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Friese
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Campus Innenstadt, Munich, Germany. udo.jeschke@med.uni-muenchen.de.
authors.forename: Udo
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Jeschke
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000201:enzymology*; D002402:Cathepsin D / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002402:Cathepsin D