CATHEPSIN-E EXPRESSION BY NORMAL AND PREMALIGNANT CERVICAL EPITHELIUM

We have investigated the expression of the aspartic proteinase catheps in E and HLA-DR and the presence of NPV16 in normal squamous epitheliu m (n = 8) and low-grade (n = 21) and high-grade (n = 14) intraepitheli al squamous lesions of the uterine cervix Immunohistochemistry of cerv ical biopsies revealed that up-regulation of cathepsin E expression wa s related to increasing severity of the cervical intraepithelial neopl asia (GIN). Up-regulation of protein was associated with increased mes sage as assessed by in situ hybridization, Langerhans cells and the ma jority of koilocytes did not express detectable cathepsin E levels. Al though there was also an up-regulation of HLA-DR expression by cervica l keratinocytes in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia lesions, as dete rmined by immunohistochemistry, no significant correlation was found b etween HLA-DR and cathepsin E expression in these lesions; neither was expression of cathepsin E correlated to the presence of HPV16, detect ed by polymerase chain reaction. The expression of cathepsin E, an asp artic proteinase that is reported to play a role ill antigen processin g for presentation by class II major histocompatibility complex molecu les, is associated with cellular dedifferentiation in cervical intraep ithelial neoplasia lesions.