Immunohistochemical expression of cathepsin D in laryngeal epithelial lesions: Correlation with CD44 expression, p53 and Rb status and proliferation associated indices
A. Goussia et al., Immunohistochemical expression of cathepsin D in laryngeal epithelial lesions: Correlation with CD44 expression, p53 and Rb status and proliferation associated indices, ANTICANC R, 19(4B), 1999, pp. 3055-3060
Clinical studies in several tumour. types have shown a strong con elation b
etween cathepsin D expression and tumour progression. Immunohistochemical s
taining for cathepsin D (clone D13A) was performed in paraffin embedded tis
sues from 39 invasive squamous cell carcinomas, 13 in situ carcinomas 35 ca
ses of dysplasia, 10 papillomas and 17 cases of keratosis. The association
between cathepsin D expression and CD44, p53, Rb proteins and proliferation
indices (Ki-67, PCNA) was assessed by univariate analysis. Cathepsin D was
highly positive-ii; the groups of carcinomas compared to other lesions (p<
0.0001). A statistically significant correlation of cathepsin D expression
with CD44 expression was observed in invasive cancers (p=0.037). The relati
onship of cathepsin D immunoreactivity with p53, Rb and proliferation indic
es was insignificant. The results show that cathepsin D is expressed in a h
igher proportion of cancerous lesions of the larynx than in non cancerous o
r premalignant lesions, a fact which suggests that cathepsin D may be invol
ved in laryngeal armour cell growth process.