Prognostic significance of the estrogen‐regulated protein, cathepsin D, in breast cancer. An immunohistochemical study

Expression of the estrogen‐regulated lysosomal protease, cathepsin D, was studied in a series of 94 breast cancers using an immunohistochemical technique. Granular staining of tumor cell cytoplasm was detected in 62 cases. Positive staining was associated with a significant increase in overall time...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Cancer 1990-01, Vol.65 (2), p.265-271
Main Authors: Henry, J. A., McCarthy, Anne L., Angus, B., Westley, B. R., May, Felicity E. B., Nicholson, S., Cairns, J., Harris, A. L., Horne, C. H. W.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Biological and medical sciences
Breast Neoplasms - enzymology
Breast Neoplasms - mortality
Cathepsin D - analysis
Female
Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics
Humans
Immunohistochemistry
Lymphatic Metastasis
Mammary gland diseases
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Neoplasm Recurrence, Local - drug therapy
Prognosis
Receptors, Estrogen - analysis
Survival Analysis
Tamoxifen - therapeutic use
Tumor Cells, Cultured
Tumors
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Summary:Expression of the estrogen‐regulated lysosomal protease, cathepsin D, was studied in a series of 94 breast cancers using an immunohistochemical technique. Granular staining of tumor cell cytoplasm was detected in 62 cases. Positive staining was associated with a significant increase in overall time to relapse and when survival was analyzed in terms of intensity of cathepsin D staining there was a significant trend for both increased time to relapse and increased length of survival. The presence of estrogen receptor was associated with positive cathepsin D immunostaining, and in the subgroup of estrogen receptor‐positive tumors cathepsin D staining was associated with significantly prolonged survival; this was not the case for estrogen receptor‐negative tumors. Positive cathepsin D immunostaining was associated with significant prognostic advantage in patients with confirmed lymph node metastasis but not in node‐negative patients. It is suggested that cathepsin D expression reflects the functional integrity of the estrogen response pathway. Cathepsin D may prove a clinically useful adjunct to assessment of estrogen receptor status.
ISSN:0008-543X
1097-0142
DOI:10.1002/1097-0142(19900115)65:2<265::AID-CNCR2820650214>3.0.CO;2-1