Expression and immunohistochemical localization of cathepsin L during the progression of human gliomas (original) (raw)

Cathepsin L in glioma progression: Comparison with cathepsin B

Cancer Detection and Prevention, 2005

Objective: Lysosomal cysteine cathepsins have been implicated in tumor progression. This study is aimed to reveal differential expression and compare the prognostic significance of cathepsins B and L in glioma patients. Methods: The histological slides of 82 patients with primary astrocytic tumors were reviewed. We evaluated the immunostaining of the cathepsins in tumor and endothelial cells. Results: Cathepsins B and L stained positive in 98 and 88% of cases, respectively. The total score was significantly higher in malignant than in benign tumors, both for cathepsin B ( p < 0.001) and for cathepsin L ( p < 0.01). The IHC score in endothelial cells in the malignant group was significantly higher only for cathepsin B ( p < 0.0001). Survival analysis indicated that in contrast to the prognostic significance of total cathepsin B and endothelial cells associated cathepsin B for shorter patients' survival, the prognostic role of cathepsin L was not confirmed. Conclusion: Cathepsin L is preferentially expressed in tumor cells, increasing with glioma progression, but is not significantly associated with new vasculature of glioblastoma. In contrast to cathepsin B, cathepsin L has no prognostic impact, suggesting different roles of the two cathepsins in glioma progression. #

Cathepsin B and glioma invasion

International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience, 1999

AbstractÐIncreased expression of cathepsin B has been reported in a number of human and animal tumors. This has also been observed in human gliomas where increases in cathepsin B mRNA, protein, activity and secretion parallel malignant progression. In the present study, we showed that cathepsin B was directly involved in glioma cell invasion. Activity of cathepsin B was an order of magnitude higher in glioma tissue than in matched normal brain. Inhibitors of cysteine proteases reduced invasion of glioma cells in two in vitro models: invasion through Matrigel and in®ltration of a glioma spheroid into a normal brain aggregate. Glioma spheroids expressed higher levels of cathepsin B than did monolayers and the ability of subclones diering in cathepsin B activity to in®ltrate normal brain aggregates paralleled their cathepsin B activity. We con®rmed that intracellular staining for cathepsin B occurs at the cell periphery and in cell processes and observed extracellular staining on the cell surface. In addition, we demonstrated that intracellular cathepsin B located at the cell periphery and in processes was active. The cell surface cathepsin B colocalized with areas of degradation of an extracellular matrix component. We hypothesize that the increased expression of active cathepsin B in gliomas leads to increases in invasion in vitro and in vivo and have developed a xenotransplant model in which this hypothesis can be tested. #

Post-Translational Regulation of Cathepsin B, but not of Other Cysteine Cathepsins, Contributes to Increased Glioblastoma Cell Invasiveness In Vitro

Pathology & Oncology Research, 2009

Cells that migrate away from a central tumour into brain tissue are responsible for inefficient glioblastoma treatment. This migratory behaviour depends partially on lysosomal cysteine cathepsins. Reportedly, the expression of cathepsins B, L and S gradually increases in the progression from benign astrocytoma to the malignant glioblastoma, although their specific roles in glioma progression have not been revealed. The aim of this study was to clarify their specific contribution to glioblastoma cell invasion. The differences between the matrix invading cells and non-invading core cells from spheroids derived from glioblastoma cell culture and from glioblastoma patients' biopsies, and embedded in type I collagen, have been studied at the mRNA, protein and cathepsin activity levels. Analyses of the two types of cells showed that the three cathepsins were up-regulated post-translationally, their specific activities increasing in the invading cells.

Overexpression and localization of cathepsin B during the progression of human gliomas

Clinical & Experimental Metastasis, 1995

Degradation of the extracellular matrix is a prerequisite for acquisition of the invasive phenotype. Several proteinases released by invading tumor cells appear to participate in the focal degradation of extracellular matrix proteins. Using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, enzymatic assays, Western and Nothern blotting techniques, we determined whether increased levels of the cysteine protease cathepsin B correlated with the progression and invasion of human gliomas. The amount of cathepsin B activity and protein content were highest in glioblastomas, lower in anaplastic astrocytomas and lowest in normal brain tissue and low-grade gliomas. There were significantly higher amounts of Mr 25 000 and 26 000 bands in glioblastoma and anaplastic astrocytoma than in normal brain and low-grade glioma tissue extracts as determined by Western blotting with anti-cathepsin antibodies. In addition, cathepsin B transcripts were overexpressed in anaplastic astrocytoma (about two- to three-fold), in glioblastoma (about eight- to 10-fold), compared with normal brain tissue and low-grade glioma. Immunobistochemical staining for cathepsin B showed intense immunoreactivity in tumor and endothelial cells of glioblastomas and anaplastic astrocytomas but only weak immunoreactivity in low-grade glioma and normal brain tissues. Therefore, we conclude that cathepsin B expression is greatest in highly malignant astrocytomas, especially in glioblastomas, and is correlated with the malignant progression of astrocytomas.

Expression of cathepsin D during the progression of human gliomas

Neuroscience Letters, 1996

Recent studies suggest that aspartic proteinase cathepsin D may be implicated in tumor invasion and metastasis either directly by degrading extracellular matrix or indirectly by activating the cysteine proteinases such as procathepsin B, H, and L to mature forms or by inactivating cysteine proteinase inhibitors. In this study we determined for the first time whether increased levels of cathepsin D correlate with glioma progression by enzymatic assay, ELISA, and western blotting. Cathepsin D activity and content were higher in anaplastic astrocytoma and in glioblastoma tissue extracts especially when compared to normal brain tissue and low-grade gliomas. There was a significantly increased intensity of an Mr 29 000 band in glioblastoma and anaplastic astrocytoma compared to low-grade glioma and normal brain tissue on Western blotting analysis using its specific antibodies. Cathepsin D antibody inhibited the invasion of glioblastoma cell lines in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that the expression of cathepsin D is dramatically upregulated in malignant gliomas, and that its increase correlates with the malignant progression of human gliomas in vivo.

The Clinical Significance of Cathepsin S Expression in Human Astrocytomas

American Journal of Pathology, 2003

tumor recurrence even after apparent total surgical resection , leading to the poor prognosis associated with malignant astrocytomas. Proteolytic enzymes have been implicated in facilitating tumor cell invasion and the current study was designed to characterize the expression of the cysteine proteinase cathepsin S (CatS) in astrocytomas and examine its potential role in invasion. Immunohistochemical analysis of biopsies demonstrated that CatS was expressed in astrocytoma cells but absent from normal astrocytes, oligodendrocytes , neurones and endothelial cells. Microglial cells and macrophages were also positive. Assays of specific activity in 59 astrocytoma biopsies confirmed CatS expression and in addition demonstrated that the highest levels of activity were expressed in grade IV tumors. CatS activity was also present in astrocytoma cells in vitro and the extracellular levels of activity were highest in cultures derived from grade IV tumors. In vitro invasion assays were carried out using the U251MG cell line and the invasion rate was reduced by up to 61% in the presence of the selective CatS inhibitor 4-Morpholineurea-Leu-HomoPhe-vinylsulphone. We conclude that CatS expression is up-regulated in astrocytoma cells and provide evidence for a potential role for CatS in invasion.

Localization patterns of cathepsins K and X and their predictive value in glioblastoma

Radiology and Oncology

Background Glioblastoma is a highly aggressive central nervous system neoplasm characterized by extensive infiltration of malignant cells into brain parenchyma, thus preventing complete tumor eradication. Cysteine cathepsins B, S, L and K are involved in cancer progression and are overexpressed in glioblastoma. We report here for the first time that cathepsin X mRNA and protein are also abundantly present in malignant glioma. Materials and methods Gene expression of cathepsins K and X was analyzed using publically-available tran-scriptomic datasets and correlated with glioma grade and glioblastoma subtype. Kaplan-Maier survival analysis was performed to evaluate the predictive value of cathepsin K and X mRNA expression. Cathepsin protein expression was localized and semi-quantified in tumor tissues by immunohistochemistry. Results Highest gene expression of cathepsins K and X was found in glioblastoma, in particular in the mesenchymal subtype. Overall, high mRNA expression of cathep...

Down-regulation of cathepsin B expression impairs the invasive and tumorigenic potential of human glioblastoma cells

Oncogene, 2001

Increases in abundance of cathepsin B transcript and protein correlate with increases in tumor grade and alterations in subcellular localization and activity of cathepsin B. The enzyme is able to degrade the components of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and activate other proteases capable of degrading ECM. To investigate the role played by this protease in the invasion of brain tumor cells, we transfected SNB19 human glioblastoma cells with a plasmid containing cathepsin B cDNA in antisense orientation. Control cells were transfected with vector alone. Clones expressing antisense cathepsin B cDNA exhibited signi®cant reductions in cathepsin B mRNA, enzyme activity and protein compared to controls. Matrigel Invasion assay showed that the antisense-transfected cells had a markedly diminished invasiveness compared with controls. When tumor spheroids containing antisense transfected SNB19 cells expressing reduced cathepsin B were co-cultured with fetal rat brain aggregates, invasion of fetal rat brain aggregates was signi®cantly reduced. Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) expressing parental cells and antisense transfectants were generated for detection in mouse brain tissue without any postchemical treatment. Intracerebral injection of SNB19 stable antisense transfectants resulted in reduced tumor formation in nude mice. These results strongly support a role for cathepsin B in the invasiveness of human glioblastoma cells and suggest cathepsin B antisense may prove useful in cancer therapy. Oncogene (2001) 20, 3665 ± 3673.

Cathepsin L affects apoptosis of glioblastoma cells: a potential implication in the design of cancer therapeutics

Anticancer research

Previous studies indicate that Cathepsin L (CatL) is involved in brain tumour progression. Here, CatL in tumour cell invasion and apoptosis has been studied. Human glioblastoma cell line U87 was transfected with CatL cDNA in sense and antisense orientations. The in vitro invasiveness was tested in modified Boyden chambers. Apoptosis was determined by fluorescent staining, caspase activity, and by Bax and Bcl-2 mRNA levels. Surprisingly, the invasiveness of U87 cells was not impaired by genetic down-regulation of CatL expression. In the CatL antisense clones, the apoptotic rate induced by either intrinsic or extrinsic stimuli was increased, whereas CatL sense transfection seemed to protect the cells from apoptosis. Increased chemoresistance of tumour cells may be associated with increased levels of CatL and may have potential application in gene therapy, which would augment the apoptosis of glioblastoma cells induced by chemotherapy.

Cathepsin D and its prognostic value in neuroepithelial brain tumors

Collegium antropologicum, 2012

Expression of Cathepsin D (Cath D) in some primary neuroepithelial brain tumors and its prognostic value were studied. The research included 65 samples of human primary neuroepithelial brain tumors. There were 50 glial tumors (10 diffuse astrocytomas (DA), 15 anaplastic astrocytomas (AA), 25 glioblastomas (GB), 15 embryonic tumors (15 medulloblastomas (MB) as well as 5 samples of normal brain tissue. Immunohistochemical method was applied to monitor diffuse positive reaction in the cytoplasm of brain tumor cells, endothelial cells and tumor stromal cells and showed diffuse positive reaction for Cath D in the cytoplasm of brain tumor cells, endothelial cells and stromal cells in all analyzed samples of DA, AA, GB and MB as well as in microglial cells, neurons and in endothelial cells in all analyzed samples of normal brain tissue. Qualitative analysis of Cath D expression in the cytoplasm of brain tumor cells and endothelial cells as well as the percentage of brain tumor cells, endot...