Zymographic Detection and Clinical Correlations of Cysteine Cathepsin and Matrix Metalloproteinase in Human Breast Cancer Tissue
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2016-06
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most frequent cause of cancer death in women in less developed countries
including Ethiopia. Cellular proteases thought to increase the likelihood of cancer invasion and
metastasis by degrading components of extracellular matrix. These proteases could be used as
tumor markers for early diagnosis, monitoring the prognosis or targeting therapeutics drugs.
Objective: To investigate zymographic detection and clinical correlations of cysteine cathepsins
and matrix metalloproteinase in human breast cancer tissue
Methodology: Hospital based cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2015 to June
2015. Thirty six women with breast cancer, who underwent mastectomy for first time were
recruited from surgery department of Menelik II Hospital, Saint Paul’s Millennium Medical
College and Zewditu Memorial Hospital. Both tumor and normal tissues were harvested from the
same patient within 10 minute after surgery. The tissue was processed and metastatic protease
activity was evaluated by measuring functional enzymatic activity of cathepsin K, cathepsin L, and
matrix metalloproteinase-2 and matrix metalloproteinase-9 using zymography and quantified by
densitometry.
Result: Normal and tumor tissue specimens were tested for functional cathepsins and matrix
metalloproteinases activities. Mean cathepsin K activity was significantly higher in tumor tissue
specimens than the activity detected in normal breast tissue specimens (n = 36, p < 0.001), mean
cathepsin L activity was also significantly higher in tumor tissue than normal tissue specimens (n
= 36, P < 0.001). Furthermore, mean matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -9 activities in tumor breast
tissue was significantly higher in tumor tissue than normal tissue (P < 0.05).
Conclusion: Our result showed different pattern of protease activity expression between normal
and tumor tissue using zymography. It shows increased protease activity in tumor tissue compared
to normal tissue sample. Therefore, tissue proteases could be used together with histopathological
technique to discriminate the putative subgroup of patients within the same clinical category.
Key words: Breast cancer, cathepsin K, cathepsin L, matrix metalloproteinase-9, matrix
metalloproteinase-2
Description
Keywords
Breast cancer; Cathepsin K; Cathepsin L; Matrix metalloproteinase-9; Matrix metalloproteinase-2