Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:3.4.24.3 (collagenase)
 18,340 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Basement membrane zone antigens, laminin, Type IV collagen, and Type V collagen each are enhanced selectively in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections by pretreatment with pepsin (1 mg pepsin/mL 0.5 M acetic acid). Highly specific antibodies to laminin, Type IV collagen, and Type V collagen each demonstrate intense linear staining of epithelial and endothelial basement membranes in fresh tissue, but this staining is diminished markedly and often completely abolished in paraffin-embedded tissue. Pretreatment of this paraffin-embedded tissue with standard immunoperoxidase enhancement technics such as trypsin fails to increase immunoreactivity of these antigens. Pretreatment with other proteases with known collagenolytic activities such as bacterial collagenase and Type IV collagenase is likewise ineffective. In contrast, pepsin pretreatment markedly enhances immunoreactivity of laminin, Type IV collagen, and Type V collagen. Previous immunocytochemical studies of the basement membrane useful in the distinction of invasive tumors from their benign counterparts, for example, tubular carcinoma of the breast from sclerosing adenosis, which only could be done prospectively in fresh tissue now can be performed retrospectively in paraffin-embedded tissue.
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PMID:Immunocytochemical enhancement of basement membrane antigens by pepsin: applications in diagnostic pathology. 643 97

Diagnostic and prognostic markers for prostatic cancer (PCa) include conventional protein markers (e.g., PAP, PSA, PSMA, PIP, OA-519, Ki-67, PCNA, TF, collagenase, and TIMP 1), angiogenesis indicator (e.g., factor VIII), neuroendocrine differentiation status, adhesion molecules (E-cadherin, integrin), bone matrix degrading products (e.g., ICPT), as well as molecular markers (e.g., PSA, PSMA, p53, 12-LOX, and MSI). Currently, only PSA is used clinically for early diagnosis and monitoring of PCa. The histological differential diagnosis of prostatic adenocarcinoma includes normal tissues such as Cowper's gland, paraganglion tissue and seminal vesicle or ejaculatory duct as well as pathological conditions such as atypical adenomatous hyperplasia, atrophy, basal cell hyperplasia and sclerosing adenosis. A common PCa is characterized by a remarkable heterogeneity in terms of its differentiation, microscopic growth patterns and biological aggressiveness. Most PCa are multifocal with signi ficant variations in tumor grade between anatomically separated tumor foci. The Gleason grading system which recognizes five major grades defined by patterns of neoplastic growth has gained almost uniform acceptance. In predicting the biologic behavior of PCa clinical and pathological stages are used as the major prognostic indicators. Among the cell proliferation and death regulators androgens are critical survival factors for normal prostate epithelial cells as well as for the androgen-dependent human prostatic cancer cells. The androgen ablation has been shown to increase the apoptotic index in prostatic cancer patients and castration also promotes apoptotic death of human prostate carcinoma grown in mice. The progression of PCa, similarly to other malignancies, is a multistep process, accompanied by genetic and epigenetic changes, involving phenomenons as adhesion, invasion and angiogenesis (without prostate specific features).
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PMID:Prostate Cancer - Old Problems and New Approaches. (Part II. Diagnostic and Prognostic Markers, Pathology and Biological Aspects). 1117 6