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Updated: Jun 12, 2026
The Use of Reverse Phase Protein Arrays (RPPA) to Explore Protein Expression Variation within Individual Renal Cell Cancers
Published on: January 22, 2013
Changes in cell-surface peptidase activity in papillary renal cell carcinoma
Lorena Blanco1, Itxaro Perez, Begoña Sanz
1Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of the Basque Country, Barrio Sarriena, Leioa, Spain.
Background:
Renal cancer is one of the ten most common malignant tumours in humans and its histological classification, best clinical management and treatment strategies are continuously debated. Roughly 10% of renal carcinomas are papillary renal cell carcinomas (RCCs), a histologically well characterized tumour subtype that is linked to alterations on chromosomes 7 and 17. Peptidases are proteolytic enzymes known to be involved in oncological processes, although their precise role in renal cancer is poorly understood.
Materials And Methods:
Eighteen papillary RCCs were selected for the study. Tumour and normal tissue samples were frozen for enzymatic analysis. The catalytic activity for a pool of peptidases (EC numbers: 3.4.11.14; 3.4.11.2; 3.4.11.6; 3.4.11.21; 3.4.11.7; 3.4.14.5; 3.4.24.11; 3.4.21.26; 3.4.19.3) was measured fluorometrically.
Results:
Statistically significant decreases were observed in the following cell surface activities: EC.3.4.11.2 (six-fold decrease in tumour vs. non-tumour); 3.4.11.6 (five-fold decrease); 3.4.11.7 (eight-fold decrease); 3.4.24.11 (four-fold decrease). No significant alterations were observed in the soluble activities.
Conclusion:
These data confirm the involvement of cell-surface peptidases in the mechanisms underlying RCC aetiogenesis and suggest that the peptidase activity profile in the RCC may be a diagnostic/prognostic marker.
