CATHEPSIN-D AND DYNAMIC MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING GADOLINIUM ENHANCEMENT IN MALIGNANT AND BENIGN BREAST-LESIONS

Our purpose was to determine whether the expression of cathepsin D, a proteolytic enzyme implicated in basement membrane degradation, is ass ociated with dynamic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) enhancement of b reast lesions, Forty-five patients with 48 breast lesions underwent ga dolinium-enhanced spoiled gradient recalled echo MRI followed by excis ional biopsy and cathepsin D staining and semiquantitative measurement in the lesions, There was no significant difference in cathepsin D st aining of 25 malignant and 23 benign breast lesions. A significant ass ociation was seen between high cathepsin D staining and positive axill ary lymph nodes in invasive carcinomas, Nine of nine (100%) node-posit ive carcinomas had high cathepsin D, as compared to three of seven (43 %) node-negative carcinomas (P = 0.02). No significant associations we re observed between cathepsin D staining and MRT enhancement amplitude , rate, or washout, Cathepsin D has no effect upon MRI gadolinium enha ncement of malignant and benign breast lesions but is associated with positive axillary lymph nodes in invasive carcinomas.