[Cathepsin D activity in human ovarian carcinoma].

In the tissue of 54 ovarian carcinomas and 38 normal human ovaries the activity of cathepsin D was determined by means of the Anson-method. In ovarian carcinomas the mean activity of cathepsin D was 4515 pmol T/s/g tissue, in normal ovarian tissue only 2119 pmol T/s/g. The difference is significant (p less than 0,001). The dependency on age of the activity of cathepsin D suitable for normal ovary, got lost in cancer tissue. There is no relationship between the amount of activity of cathepsin D and the stage of the tumour. Extreme high activities of cathepsin D were found in metastatic ovarian carcinomas. The activity of cathepsin D is higher in endometrioid and papillary than in mucigenous and hypernephroid ovarian carcinomas. The different activities of cathepsin D were discussed with regard to the invasive growth of cancer and to deranged protein metabolism.