IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL STUDY OF CATHEPSIN-B - PROGNOSTIC-SIGNIFICANCE INHUMAN LUNG-CANCER

Background. The concentration of cysteine proteinase cathepsin B has b een shown to be elevated in association with malignancy or metastatic potential of human and rodent tumors, but its prognostic value for hum an lung cancer remains undetermined. Methods. Using a polyclonal antib ody, immunohistochemical analyses of cathepsin B were performed on par affin embedded sections of tumors obtained surgically from 108 patient s with non-small cell lung cancer (49 squamous cell carcinomas, 59 ade nocarcinomas). The immunohistochemical expressions of cathepsin B in t he tumors were compared with patient survival. Results. Higher grade e xpression of cathepsin B was associated significantly with shorter sur vival in nonsmall cell lung cancer (P < 0.01), in squamous cell carcin oma (P < 0.05), and in adenocarcinoma (P < 0.01). A similar result als o was seen in Stage I non-small cell lung cancer (P < 0.05). Conclusio ns. The authors concluded that the immunohistochemical staining patter n of cathepsin B may be a useful predictor of survival for human lung cancer.