title: Diagnostic values of serum cathepsin B and D in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The diagnostic and prognostic significance of increased cathepsin B (CTSB) and cathepsin D (CTSD) concentration in the serum of cancer patients were evaluated for some tumor types. High expression of CTSD and CTSB was detected in biopsy tissues from nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). However, whether CTSD and CTSB serve as diagnostic and prognostic markers of NPC remains unclear.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum samples were collected from 40 healthy volunteers and 80 NPC patients enrolled in the study. CTSB and CTSD in the serum samples were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Concomitantly, the relationship between CTSB and CTSD concentrations and clinicopathological prognosis was assessed. The sensitivity and specificity of the two components in the diagnosis of NPC were evaluated in 80 NPC patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  ELISA analysis showed that in the sera obtained from NPC patients, the CTSB concentration was 12.5 ± 3.5 mg/L (median, 12.4 mg/L), and the CTSD concentration was 15.7 ± 8.7 mg/L (median, 14.7 mg/L). CTSB and CTSD levels were significantly higher in the NPC patient population compared to the healthy control population (p = 0.001; p = 0.001, respectively). The presence of CTSB and CTSD in the serum of the patients with NPC correlated with the tumor node metastasis (TNM) scores (p = 0.001). Other parameters were not identified to be of significance. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis showed that a cut off CTSB concentration of 12.4 mg/L had 61.9% sensitivity and 63.2% specificity in the prediction of progression-free survival (Area under the curve (AUC) = 0.525; 95% CI, 39.7-65.2; p = 0.704); whereas a cut off CTSD concentration of 14.7 mg/L had 66.7% sensitivity, and 58.5% specificity (AUC = 0.552; 95% CI, 42.3-68.1; p = 0.42).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum CTSB and CTSD concentrations were found to have a diagnostic value in NPC. However, the CTSB and CTSD serum levels had no prognostic role for the outcome in NPC patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory and Medical Research Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 87 Xiangya Road, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China.|Department of Clinical Laboratory and Medical Research Center, Zhuhai People's Hospital, Zhuhai Hospital of Jinan University, 79 Kangning Road, Zhuhai, 519000, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Gongjun
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory and Medical Research Center, Zhuhai People's Hospital, Zhuhai Hospital of Jinan University, 79 Kangning Road, Zhuhai, 519000, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Qianxu
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Metallurgical Science and Engineering, Central South University, 21 Lushan South Road, Changsha, 410083, China.
authors.forename: Xiaowei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Ting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory and Medical Research Center, Zhuhai People's Hospital, Zhuhai Hospital of Jinan University, 79 Kangning Road, Zhuhai, 519000, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Yuejin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory and Medical Research Center, Zhuhai People's Hospital, Zhuhai Hospital of Jinan University, 79 Kangning Road, Zhuhai, 519000, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Jinping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory and Medical Research Center, Zhuhai People's Hospital, Zhuhai Hospital of Jinan University, 79 Kangning Road, Zhuhai, 519000, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory and Medical Research Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 87 Xiangya Road, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China. tangfaqing33@hotmail.com.|Department of Clinical Laboratory and Medical Research Center, Zhuhai People's Hospital, Zhuhai Hospital of Jinan University, 79 Kangning Road, Zhuhai, 519000, Guangdong, China. tangfaqing33@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Faqing
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D002277:Carcinoma; D002401:Cathepsin B / Q000097:blood*; D002402:Cathepsin D / Q000097:blood*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000077274:Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002401:Cathepsin B; D002402:Cathepsin D
keywords: Biomarker; Cathepsin B; Cathepsin D; Diagnostic value; Nasopharyngeal carcinoma