To estimate the prognostic value of
cathepsins B, H, L, D and
stefins A and B in head and neck
carcinoma, their concentrations in cytosols of primary tumours and adjacent normal tissue were measured (
cathepsins B, D
stefins A, B in 45,
cathepsin L in 24 and
cathepsin H in 21 patients). Median concentrations of
cathepsins B, L, and D were significantly higher in tumour than in the adjacent normal tissue (B and D: p < 0.0001; L: p = 0.004);
cathepsin H concentration was higher in normal tissue (p = 0.001). Concentrations of either
stefin did not differ significantly between normal and tumour tissue. Concentrations of
cathepsins B, H, L, and D were higher in laryngeal than in non-laryngeal normal and tumour tissues. The difference was statistically significant for
cathepsin B in tumour tissue (p = 0.045), and marginally significant in normal tissue (p = 0.07). Early tumours had lower concentrations of
stefins A and B than locally advanced tumours (
stefin A: p = 0.04;
stefin B: p = 0.07). Disease-free and disease-specific survival rates were better in patients with concentrations of
cathepsin L in tumour tissue below or equal to the cut-off values (p = 0.035; p = 0.05), whereas for
cathepsin B the difference was established only for disease-free survival (p = 0.07). The opposite was true for
stefin A (p = 0.0002; p = 0.002) and
stefin B (p = 0.009; p = 0.003), and in disease-free survival also for
cathepsin H (p = 0.055). The concentration of
cathepsin D did not correlate with survival. Our data indicate that
cathepsins B, H, L and
stefins A and B might have prognostic value in head and neck
carcinoma.