title: Overexpression of cathepsin D in malignant melanoma.
abstract: Cathepsin D is an aspartic lysosomal endopeptidase present in most mammalian cells. Overexpression of cathepsin D is associated with the progression of several human cancers including melanoma. We examined the expression levels of cathepsin D in 20 primary malignant melanomas, 20 metastatic malignant melanomas, 20 benign nevus pigmentosus and 10 normal skin samples in Japanese. In normal skin, granular or dotted pattern of positive staining was observed along the granular layer of epidermis and hair follicle with apparent moderate to strong staining in sebaceous and eccrine glands. The percent positivity and staining intensity of cathepsin D in primary and metastatic malignant melanomas were significantly higher than that of nevus pigmentosus. Moreover, the expression levels of cathepsin D in metastatic malignant melanomas were significantly higher than those of primary malignant melanomas. Data from our and previous reports strongly supports a notion that the upregulation of cathepsin D may be critically involved in the malignant transformation and progression of melanocytic tumors.
authors: Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan.
authors: Li
authors: L
authors: Zhu
authors: Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan.
authors: Maiko
authors: M
authors: Wada
authors: Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan.
authors: Yuko
authors: Y
authors: Usagawa
authors: Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan.
authors: Yumi
authors: Y
authors: Yasukochi
authors: Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan.
authors: Asuka
authors: A
authors: Yokoyama
authors: Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan.
authors: Naoko
authors: N
authors: Wada
authors: Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan.
authors: Maiko
authors: M
authors: Sakamoto
authors: Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan.
authors: Tomoko
authors: T
authors: Maekawa
authors: Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan.
authors: Reiko
authors: R
authors: Miyazaki
authors: Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan.
authors: Etsuko
authors: E
authors: Yonenaga
authors: Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan.
authors: Mari
authors: M
authors: Kiyomatsu
authors: Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan.
authors: Maho
authors: M
authors: Murata
authors: Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan.
authors: Masutaka
authors: M
authors: Furue
mesh_terms: D044466:Asian People; D002402:Cathepsin D / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics; D018450:Disease Progression; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008544:Melanocytes / Q000473:pathology; D008545:Melanoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D009508:Nevus, Pigmented / Q000235:genetics; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D002402:Cathepsin D