Expression of cathepsin B and cystatin C in human breast cancer.

Cathepsin B, which was originally found to be a lysosomal cysteine protease, is also an important matrix protease. In this study, we investigated the expression of cathepsin B and cystatin C, the strongest inhibitor of cathepsin B, and measured the relative amounts of each in human breast cancer tissues. Cystatin C expression relative to cathepsin B expression was found to be decreased. This finding could be associated with the looseness of cancerous interstitial tissue, which might play a role in cancer invasion and metastasis. This report documents the first simultaneous investigation of cathepsin B and cystatin C in breast cancer tissues.