Cathepsin B and its inhibitor stefin A in brain tumors.
Cysteine protease cathepsin B (CatB) and its endogenous inhibitor stefin A (StA) play an important role in tumor progression. Increase of CatB expression and lower levels of its inhibitors were associated with tumor malignancy in brain tumors. In this study of 100 patients, CatB was localized by immunostaining to both, tumor and endothelial cells of primary brain tissue. Significant correlation with poor prognosis was found by univariate Cox's regression model. Intense overall immunostaining and immunostaining in endothelial cells alone were prognostic for survival (p=0.003 in both). When comparing CatB expression at mRNA level, we found considerable differences between center and periphery of a tumor as well as between different tumor samples. StA mRNA was only detected in benign, but not in malignant tissues. We suggest that screening of cysteine-protease genes expression can be applied in clinical prognosis of brain tumors.
Aleš Bervar, National Institute of Biology, Večna pot 111, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, , , , , , SI.
Tadej
T
Strojnik
Maribor Teaching Hospital, Dept. of Neurosurgery, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia, , , , , , SI.
Irena
I
Zajc
Maribor Teaching Hospital, Dept. of Neurosurgery, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia, , , , , , SI.
Aleš
A
Bervar
Aleš Bervar, National Institute of Biology, Večna pot 111, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, , , , , , SI.
Boris
B
Židanik
Institute of Oncology, Dept. of Pathology, Ljubljana, Slovenia, , , , , , SI.
Rastko
R
Golouh
Krka d.d., 8000 Novo mesto, Slovenia, , , , , , SI.
Janko
J
Kos
University Clinical Center, Dept. of Neurosurgery, Ljubljana, Slovenia, , , , , , SI.
Vinko
V
Dolenc
Maribor Teaching Hospital, Dept. of Neurosurgery, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia, , , , , , SI.
Tamara
T
Lah
Brain cancer; Invasion; Key words Cathepsin B; Stefin A