OBJECTIVE[corrected] To investigate cathepsin B (CB) expression in squamous cervical carcinoma and its relationship to the clinical and pathological condition.

METHODSCB expression was detected by immunohistochemistry in 56 cases of human invasive squamous cervical carcinoma (ISCC) tissues, 85 cases of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and 38 cases of normal cervical squamous epithelial tissue. The results were analyzed in relation to the grade of differentiation, depth of invasion and pelvic lymph node metastasis.

RESULTSThe positive rates of CB were 87.5% (49/56), 48.3% (41/85) and 48.3% (41/85) in ISCC, CIN and normal tissue, respectively. CB expression in ISCC had significant differences from that ub the CIN and normal tissues (P<0.01). CB positive rates in the tissues with invasion of less than two thirds of the cervix and over two thirds of the cervix were 83.4% (28/34) and 95.5% (21/22) respectively, showing obvious differences between them (P<0.05). CB-positive rates also showed an obvious difference between the tissues with lymphatic metastasis and those without lymphatic metastasis [97.4% (37/38) vs 66.7% (12/18), P<0.05]. CB expression in ISCC was not related to the grade of differentiation.

CONCLUSIONHigh expression of CB is closely associated with tumor infiltration and lymphatic metastasis of cervical cancer.