Prognostic significance of tumor-related proteases as a function of the estrogen receptor status

Background: Tumor-related proteases such as urokinase-type plasminogen (uPA), plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1), and cathepsin D (cath-D) are involved in the prognosis of breast cancer (BC) and promote the metastatic process. We investigated the relationship between these proteases and their prognostic significance according to the ER status.Methods: uPA, PAI-1, and cath-D levels were prospectively measured in tumor from 316 patients with primary BC. The distribution and relationship between these proteases and ER subsets were analyzed as well as the prognostic significance.Results: Quantitative levels of uPA, and PAI-1 were higher in ER- patients (p<0.001) whereas no difference was observed for cath-D levels in ER subsets (p = 0.96). In patients with a positive and highly positive ER status, a high cath-D level was associated with a poorer prognosis. Patients in the highly positive ER group experienced poorer survival in the group with a high PAI-1 level compared to the group with a low PAI-1 level...