We have studied the correlation of two methods (immunohistology and ELISA in cytosol) of
cathepsin D (CD) determination in
breast carcinoma patients. Fifty six specimens of
tumor tissue were collected consecutively, and CD expression in
tumor tissue and tissue macrophages was determined by standard immunohistochemistry using the aNCL-CDm anti-
cathepsin D mouse monoclonal antibody (Novocastra Laboratories Ltd., Newcastle, UK). Additionally, CD concentration was determined by ELISA in cytosol of the same
breast carcinoma specimens. CD positivity was correlated with
tumor size, histological grade of
tumor, and the cytosol
progesterone adn
estrogen receptor concentrations. There was no statistically significant correlation between examined parameters and either CD positivity by immunohistochemistry or cytosol CD concentration. The correlation between CD expression in
tumor cells of
breast carcinoma by immunohistochemistry and cytosol CD positivity was not found either. However, there was a significant association between abundance of CD positive stromal macrophages and cytosol CD concentration in all histological
tumor types (p < 0.05). CD positive macrophages were abundant in most of cytosol CD positive specimens. These results suggest that
breast cancer cytosol CD concentration is the cumulative result of CD content in both
carcinoma cells and stromal macrophages.