TY - JOUR
T1 - Cathepsin D in host stromal cells, but not in tumor cells, is associated with aggressive behavior in node-negative breast cancer
AU - Nadji, Mehrdad
AU - Fresno, Manuel
AU - Nassiri, Mehdi
AU - Conner, Gregory
AU - Herrero, Agustin
AU - Morales, Azorides R.
N1 - Funding Information:
From the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center and Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, FL; and the University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain. Accepted for publication February 22, 1996. Supported in part by the Cedar Foundation Cancer Research Fund No. 779193-R. Address correspondence and reprint requests to Mehrdad Nadji, MD, Department of Pathology (R-5), PO Box 016960, Miami, FL 33101. Copyright © 1996 by W.B. Saunders Company 0046-8177/96/27094301055.00/0
PY - 1996
Y1 - 1996
N2 - One hundred fifty-four axillary lymph node-negative invasive ductal carcinomas of the breast were immunohistochemically evaluated for the expression of cathepsin D. Formalin-fixed paraffin sections of each tumor were stained using a polyclonal antibody raised against recombinant procathepsin D. Cathepsin D content of tumor cells and host histiocytes and fibroblasts within or immediately at the invasive border of tumors were assessed separately and correlated with histomorphology, estrogen-receptor content, and patients' survival data. Positive cathepsin D staining of tumor cells was associated with a lower nuclear grade and well-differentiated histology, whereas moderate to strong staining of host cells correlated with larger tumor size, higher nuclear grade, poorly differentiated histomorphology, and lack of estrogen-receptor (ER) protein. No statistically significant correlation was found between cathepsin D in tumor cells and survival. There was, however, a statistically significant correlation between moderate to strong cathepsin D staining of host cells and shorter disease- free and overall survivals. Expression of cathepsin D by host cells, however, did not have an independent influence on survival. The authors conclude that cathepsin D in stromal cell, but not in tumor cells, is associated with aggressive behavior in nodenegative invasive ductal carcinomas of breast. Furthermore, determination of cathepsin D in cytosolic extracts of tumors is of no practical value because it may represent cathepsin D content of tumor cells, intratumoral host cell, or both.
AB - One hundred fifty-four axillary lymph node-negative invasive ductal carcinomas of the breast were immunohistochemically evaluated for the expression of cathepsin D. Formalin-fixed paraffin sections of each tumor were stained using a polyclonal antibody raised against recombinant procathepsin D. Cathepsin D content of tumor cells and host histiocytes and fibroblasts within or immediately at the invasive border of tumors were assessed separately and correlated with histomorphology, estrogen-receptor content, and patients' survival data. Positive cathepsin D staining of tumor cells was associated with a lower nuclear grade and well-differentiated histology, whereas moderate to strong staining of host cells correlated with larger tumor size, higher nuclear grade, poorly differentiated histomorphology, and lack of estrogen-receptor (ER) protein. No statistically significant correlation was found between cathepsin D in tumor cells and survival. There was, however, a statistically significant correlation between moderate to strong cathepsin D staining of host cells and shorter disease- free and overall survivals. Expression of cathepsin D by host cells, however, did not have an independent influence on survival. The authors conclude that cathepsin D in stromal cell, but not in tumor cells, is associated with aggressive behavior in nodenegative invasive ductal carcinomas of breast. Furthermore, determination of cathepsin D in cytosolic extracts of tumors is of no practical value because it may represent cathepsin D content of tumor cells, intratumoral host cell, or both.
KW - breast cancer
KW - cathepsin D
KW - immunohistochemistry
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U2 - 10.1016/S0046-8177(96)90214-2
DO - 10.1016/S0046-8177(96)90214-2
M3 - Article
C2 - 8816882
AN - SCOPUS:0029808255
VL - 27
SP - 890
EP - 895
JO - Human Pathology
JF - Human Pathology
SN - 0046-8177
IS - 9
ER -