COMPARISON OF TOTAL CATHEPSIN-D IN BREAST-TISSUE OF PATIENTS WITH BENIGN AND MALIGNANT BREAST DISEASE

Cathepsin D was estimated by immunoradiometric assay in cytosols of br east biopsies from 16 patients with fibrocystic breast disease, 14 pat ients with fibroadenoma of the breast, 30 patients with ductal carcino ma in situ and seven normal breast tissues from reduction mammoplastie s. The results of the groups were compared with one another and with t hat of a large sample (738) of invasive breast carcinomas from a previ ous study. The mean cathepsin D concentration in the cytosol was lowes t in normal breast tissues, intermediate in ductal carcinomas in situ and adenomas, and highest in invasive carcinomas. Cathepsin D in 'fibr ocystic disease' covered a wide range; the average was still below the cut off value of 25 pmol/mg protein, but closer to the mean of the in vasive carcinomas than that of any other group.